Sri Lanka and New Zealand will play a two-match Test series from September 18. New Zealand were set to face Afghanistan in a Test match in India, however, the match was called off without a ball being bowled due to rain and a poor drainage system at the venue. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will head into the Test match high on confidence after pulling off an emphatic win in the third Test against England. Sri Lanka though suffered a 2-1 defeat in the series. Meanwhile, the Test match, to be played at Galle International Stadium, will see a rare occurrence. The match will be played across six days instead of the regular five.
Why Will the Sri Lanka vs England 1st Test Be Played For Six Days?
The Test will start on Wednesday and will have a rest day on Saturday. Rest days in Test matches are rare, however, there have been a few instances of Test matches having rest days in the past. The Sri Lanka vs New Zealand Test will have a rest day because of the parliamentary elections in the country.
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In 2008, the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test match in Dhaka also had a rest day due to parliamentary elections. In 2001, Sri Lanka's match against Zimbabwe in Colombo included a rest day due to Poya Day (full moon). Many Test matches in England in the last century had a rest day in between, mostly on Sunday.
Vital Series For Both Teams In Terms Of WTC
Meanwhile, the series is crucial for both teams in terms of the WTC final qualification scenario. New Zealand are third on the WTC table with 50 percentage of points while Sri Lanka are fifth with 42.86 percentage of points. Both teams are still in contention. New Zealand will play a three-match Test series against India after the Sri Lanka tour and that would be a massive challenge thus New Zealand would desperately want to win the series against Sri Lanka.
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Sri Lanka, meanwhile, would head to South Africa for two Test matches before hosting Australia at home. Both series will present them with a stiff challenge so they would also be keen to beat New Zealand and keep their WTC final chances afloat.