Getty Sri Lanka and New Zealand will meet at Hagley Oval.
The Sri Lankan cricket team will face off against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch in the second test of the sides’ test series.
How to Watch New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test in USA
For those who are in the United States, the five-day test match will start Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET and continue Tuesday through Saturday at the same time.
You can watch all five days of the test match via ESPN+, the new streaming service from ESPN that will have coverage of the complete New Zealand vs Sri Lanka series, including this test, all three ODIs (Jan. 2, Jan. 4, Jan. 7) and the T20I (Jan. 10).
You can sign up for a free seven-day trial of ESPN+ right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the test match on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the ESPN app.
If you can’t watch live, the test will also be available to be watched on-demand afterward via ESPN+.
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Preview
New Zealand lost their opportunity to move into No. 2 in the world rankings when they played to a draw against Sri Lanka in the first test — a win in both tests would have done it.
After New Zealand dominated the first three days of play, Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis of Sri Lanka batted for the entirety of the fourth day, for the first complete day without a fallen wicket in more than a decade of test cricket.
“They batted well,” New Zealand’s lefty spinner Ajaz Patel said, according to Reuters.
“We really put the ball in good areas and tried to come hard at them, but they rode those waves and adapted to those conditions quite well and the way we were bowling at them.
“They soaked up pressure when they needed to and then they applied pressure when they needed to.
“So credit goes to them with the way they applied themselves throughout the day.”
The fifth and final day of the test was called due to rain after about an hour.
“Very rarely do you go a whole day where there’s not an opportunity regardless of what you try,” New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said, according to Channel News Asia.
“There might be a run out opportunity or anything, but that’s credit to the way the Sri Lankan batsmen played and denied us.
“They were very disciplined, very patient, and weren’t looking to bat aggressively which might have given us an opportunity. They played very nicely.”
Sri Lanka’s hoping their performance in Wellington will follow them to Christchurch.
“We got so much confidence from that game for this game,” Sri Lanka wicketkeeper and left-arm batsman Niroshan Dickwella said, according to The Times of India.
“If we get some movement here our bowlers will do the job and they know what areas they must bowl at. Unlike in the subcontinent we have to bowl fuller here.”
Though they won’t rise to No. 2, the Black Caps have a chance to win their fourth consecutive test series in their 88-year test history; this is the side’s eighth time taking three in a row.
“I’m very proud of our home record, and I guess that’s one of the challenges for us now — this is a one-off test match, where the series is on the line, so there’s a lot for the side to play for,” Black Caps batting coach Craig McMillan said, according to The New Zealand Herald. “That would mean a lot to the team in terms of that consistency of winning over a period of time against some very good opposition.”