New Zealand is expected to name an unchanged lineup for the second cricket test against Sri lanka starting at Seddon Park on Friday, encouraged by a green pitch to retain four seam bowlers.
Spinner Mark Craig is again expected to omitted, as he was for the first test in Dunedin which New Zealand won by 122 runs. New Zealand will likely retain seamers Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Doug Bracewell while left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner will play as the allrounder.
The pitch at Dunedin's University Oval was also green ahead of the first test but produced none of the fireworks Sri lanka expected when it won the toss and bowled. Conditions in Hamilton may be more humid, producing more swing which will suit the New Zealand bowlers.
Sri lanka also named four seamers in its lineup for the Dunedin test and could do so again, along with spinner Rangana Herath. Frontline Sri lankan seamers Suranga lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera struggled in the conditions at Dunedin, conceding more than four runs an over while captain Angelo Mathews took a containing role.
After being sent in, New Zealand made 431 in its first innings, setting up its win and Jayaratne said his pace bowlers need to maintain tighter lines.
‘injury is part and parcel of cricket’
New Zealand master batsman Kane Williamson on Thursday said he had no concerns about playing with a suspected broken finger as he looks to maintain his phenomenal form.
Williamson, averaging 88.58 in Tests in 2015, took a nasty blow to the hand in the first innings of New Zealand's first-Test victory, where he scored 88 and 71 and became only the fifth player to pass 1,000 Test runs this year.
Ahead of the second and final Test in Hamilton, which starts on Friday, Williamson described his injury as "part and parcel" of cricket and said he would not seek treatment during the series.
"It's irrelevant if it is or not, nothing will change," said the world's number three-ranked batsman, when asked whether he thought the finger was broken. It's part and parcel of cricket I suppose. You get a few knocks on the fingers and when it doesn't get hit it settles a little bit and gets a bit less sensitive."