Published: Jan 29, 2015, 05:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 29, 2015, 10:24 AM (IST)
New Zealand and Sri Lanka face off in the final game of the seven-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Thursday. With the series already surrendered to New Zealand courtesy a 120-run defeat in the previous encounter in Dunedin, Sri Lanka will look to salvage some pride with a win in the final ODI.
Everything has been working according to plan for the Kiwis so far in the series, as both the top as well as middle-order of the batting lineup has been consistent in the series so far. Kane Williamson has been in fine nick, scoring a century in the fourth ODI at Nelson. The biggest draw so far has been the middle-order pair of Luke Ronchi and Grant Elliott, who shared a record 267-run stand in the fifth ODI at Dunedin, leading to a 108-run win for the hosts. The bowlers too, have been at their destructive best, with Mitchell McClenaghan and Corey Anderson emerging the leading wicket-takers in the ongoing ODI series.
Sri Lanka have had a series of problems that they must find an answer to before the start of the ICC World Cup 2015, the seventh ODI being somewhat an opportunity for the same. While the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan [the leading run-getter in the ongoing series], Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have shone with the bat for the most part in the series, the middle-order has collapsed like a house of cards when it mattered the most. The bowling too has had the advantage of an early wicket, but failed to capitalise afterwards.
Teams:
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Luke Ronchi, Corey Anderson, Mitchell McClenaghan, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori.
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga, Dushmantha Chameera
Catch Live Blog of the match here
