Hagley Oval pitch report: Christchurch pitch report for NZ vs SL Test tomorrow match

The first Test of the two-match series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Both teams would want to start the series with a win, and the pitch in Christchurch will be looked at with great interest in this match.

New Zealand managed to level the last series against England, and they are the favourites to win this match. The pacers of New Zealand have enjoyed bowling at this ground, and they will again be a huge threat. Kane Williamson scored a century in the last Test, and the other batters would like to support him.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching the final of the World Test Championship are still alive to some extent, and they would be looking to punch above their weight in this series. Dimuth Karunaratne is the most important batter of the side, whereas Kusal Mendis has also batted well in recent times.

Hagley Oval pitch report

Christchurch’s Hagley Oval is another typical New Zealand track where the pacers will enjoy their time out there in the middle. A green top track is expected, and the batters will find it really tough to play against the new ball bowlers. The seamers will get a good amount of movement in the initial overs.

The last Test here was played between New Zealand and South Africa last year, where 35 out of 39 wickets were taken by the seamers. When the pitch will get old, the short balls will be used by the bowlers, and there will be a good amount of bounce present on the wicket.

The average first-innings score here is 286 runs, whereas the average fourth-innings score is 159 runs. Both captains would look to bat first upon winning the toss here. New Zealand’s trio of Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry have performed brilliantly on this very ground.