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Pep Guardiola admits he feels bad for not giving Kalvin Phillips more playing time at Manchester City.

The midfielder made a big-money move from Leeds to the Etihad in 2022 but has made only two Premier League starts for Guardiola’s side, while loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich have also proved difficult.

Games

31

Goals

1

Assists

0

Yellow cards

3

Minutes played

914

Phillips, on £150,000-a-week, has not played for City since December 2023, but is now back training with City after an Achilles injury scuppered his chances of a summer move.

Asked why it had not worked out at City for the 29-year-old, Guardiola said:

City have had a stuttering start to the season, with Sunday’s draw against Arsenal leaving them eight points behind leaders Liverpool after only five games.

Guardiola believes the biggest difference to their years of dominance is a change in the prevailing playing style of the majority of teams.

The Catalan cited veteran Italian coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who spent nine years with Atalanta before moving to Roma this summer, as the key influencer in a more combative era.

Guardiola spoke about his players’ fatigue after the Arsenal draw, and he said: “More than the physicality, it’s the way that the opponents play.

“They are more and more aggressive in all departments, more man marking, don’t leave you spaces. In the last one or two years, it changed a lot. I don’t know if it will come back (to) what it was before and the teams have to adapt in a different way.

“You see Bournemouth, you see Brentford with Thomas Frank and now with Tottenham, going a lot in that way. And that’s why football is so nice, not always is it the same and you have to adapt with the players you have, the way you’re thinking, and especially in the way you want to attack.”

Next up for City is a trip to Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, where Guardiola will change his side for the first time in four games.

He confirmed James Trafford will start in goal but one player who will not feature is defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who is expected to miss three games with the injury he picked up against Arsenal.

The young Uzbek has started the last four games, and Guardiola spoke glowingly about his potential.

“He’s been really, really good against the tough, tough opponents we faced,” said the City boss. “He’s so young. He came in a season that was difficult for us. He’s incredible, he’s learned quick. You smell that he’s an incredible top signing for the next many, many years at this club. This guy will make a career in this club.”

Unbroken century partnership with Tom Abell extinguishes Durham hopes

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-May-2025

A superbly judged unbeaten century by Tom Lammonby helped Somerset maintain their excellent form with a seven-wicket defeat of Durham in the Rothesay County Championship match at the Banks Homes Riverside.The victory moves Lewis Gregory’s side up to fourth in the Division One table, although most of the other games in this round have yet to finish.Resuming on 71 for one and needing 194 more runs to clinch their third victory in succession, Lewis Gregory’s batsmen encountered few problems on a pitch where 31 wickets had fallen in two days.Instead, they reached their target in mid-afternoon having lost only two wickets on this third day. Lammonby finished on 104 not out and Tom Abell, with whom he had put on an unbroken 139 for the fourth wicket, was unbeaten on 73.Yet Durham had enjoyed the perfect start to the morning when Gregory, was caught behind by Ollie Robinson off Ben Raine for 38 in the second over of the day. But Lammonby and the new batsman, James Rew made light of that setback by adding 55 runs in 15 overs and seizing on some wayward bowling by the callow Durham seamers.Just before noon, Alex Lees brought on Colin Ackermann to bowl his off-spin from the Lumley End and this change brought a much needed breakthrough for the home side when Rew, who had looked in little trouble while making 31, chipped a half-drive straight to Lees, himself, at short extra cover.That wicket left Somerset on 128 for three but it did not halt the visitors’ steady progress towards their target. Lammonby became only the second batsman in the match to make a half-century, reaching that landmark off 70 balls and having hit five boundaries, and Durham’s need for further wickets was made plain when Raine and Mitch Killeen were brought back into the attack around 40 minutes after they had been taken off.Those bowling changes made no difference. Lammonby and Abell continued their steady accumulation, maidens were rarities and Somerset reached lunch on 174 for three, 91 short of their target, with Lammonby on 65 not out and Abell unbeaten on 20.Five overs into the afternoon session Durham threw away a faint chance to salvage the game when Lammonby was dropped on 69 by James Minto off Daniel Hogg at deep square leg, the 17-year-old shelling a straightforward chance after the ball had been pulled straight to him.That escape seemed to energise the Somerset batsmen and the remaining 70 runs came quickly. Lammonby took three fours off a Minto over and soon after reached his century off 149 balls, having hit a dozen fours. Shortly afterwards, Abell reached his fifty off 122 balls and victory was confirmed when Abell clipped Killeen through midwicket for a final boundary.On a tough day for Durham’s bowlers, Raine finished with one for 50, Ackermann one for 40 and Killeen one for 67

As Liverpool lost a third successive game across all competitions, Premier League legend Wayne Rooney accused Reds talisman Mohamed Salah of "watching" Conor Bradley get torn apart by Chelsea behind him and doing very little to help. Last season, Salah openly praised Liverpool boss Arne Slot for taking away the defensive responsibility that Jurgen Klopp had previously insisted on.

'I would question Salah's work ethic'

On the latest episode of across BBC platforms, Rooney suggested that Salah should be doing more work off the ball that benefits the team around him.

Right-back Bradley was often isolated, eventually withdrawn at half-time as Slot shuffled his team.

"We know he doesn't always get back and defend as much, but in the Chelsea game his full-back was getting torn apart and he was watching," Rooney said of Salah, calling on others to drill it into the Egyptian superstar that he needs to be doing more.

"He's not getting back and helping, and players like [Virgil] Van Dijk and the leaders in the dressing room should be telling him, 'you need to help out'," Rooney continued.

"That was a worry and I think he has looked a bit lost over the last week. When it's going well and you're scoring goals and winning games it's great and the team will put up with that but, over the last week, I would question his work ethic. I think when you get a bit older as well, Slot maybe could have looked at that and thought, 'Chelsea are killing us down the side'."

AdvertisementAFPRonaldo example could fix Liverpool's Salah problem

Liverpool have been defensively poor so far this season, conceding nine goals in seven Premier League games. If teams can consistently exploit a weakness down the right flank, with Salah failing to sufficiently protect Bradley, or Jeremie Frimpong, those problems could worsen.

Rooney's proposed solution is to mimic how Sir Alex Ferguson found a workaround with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.

"Move [Salah] inside and move [Florian] Wirtz out there [to the right] and still have that work ethic in there and the brilliance of Salah to try and score goals. The best managers see that and adjust," Rooney explained, calling on Slot to identify and resolve the issue.

"I'm not saying you leave him out of the team. We had that with Ronaldo at Manchester United who similarly wouldn't track back so Fergie moves him inside, so you still have the balance of the team and the work getting done. He moves him inside so he is still on the pitch because he's always got a chance of scoring goals and winning games."

Salah glad about diminished defensive duties

In what could have been perceived as a dig at former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Salah thanked Slot for "listening" to his request to do less defending than he had to before, when speaking towards the end of last season about his redefined role in the team.

The 33-year-old claimed his 57 goals and assists across all competitions in 2024-25 were a direct result of Slot's differing approach and willingness to allow him to largely disregard defensive duties.

"You can see the numbers. Now I don't have to defend much. The tactics are quite different. I said 'as long as you rest me defensively I will provide offensively', so I am glad that I did," Salah explained at the time.

"He listened a lot and you can see the numbers. When you play in the Premier League you have to defend but I said that I can gamble and somehow I can make a difference. My number of assists shows that you can create chances as well."

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Getty Images SportIs Salah still justified for not defending?

If Salah's excuse for not willingly defending in order to preserve himself to attack, his numbers in the early weeks of 2025-26 are disappointing. It's just three goals in 10 appearances across all competitions so far, with a further three assists, not the kind of return that would make a team essentially defending with only 10 players worthwhile. In the Premier League alone, Salah has found the net just once in his last six appearances.

Liverpool will have to play without Salah for several matches over the Christmas period, with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations starting on December 21 and running into the latter half of January. If Egypt go the distance, Salah could be missing for up to 10 games across four competitions. It would be sickening for Salah if Liverpool's team balance is better without him.

Maybe the most frustrating part is the familiarity. Manchester United entered the 2025/26 campaign with such optimism in spite of last season’s struggles, having recruited with ambition over the past few months, having pledged to turn the ship around.

Ruben Amorim did not look like a man in control or a manager instilled with belief, after the Red Devils crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, defeated by League Two’s Grimsby Town on penalties.

A point from the opening two weeks of Premier League action has left plenty to be desired, but the midweek humiliation has unravelled all the tentative work. One step forward, but United have now fallen down the stairs.

If Amorim is the right man to lead this club back toward the glory days, he must enact drastic change with speed. As strange as it sounds, Saturday’s home tie against Burnley in the top flight carries a considerable amount of weight.

The Portuguese manager, without a doubt, needs to raise his win percentage, currently at the lowliest of lows.

Ruben Amorim vs post-Fergie managers

We’ve been here before. This recycling of first-team coaches at the Theatre of Dreams has yet to bring about the fruits of former successes for Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, and his influence – or lack thereof – over the past 12 years has been despairingly clear for a fallen giant who have yet to return to the pinnacle in the intervening years.

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Amorim arrived with an air of excitement, having crafted a high-octane and exciting outfit in Sporting Lisbon, who are now two-in-a-row Liga Portugal champions.

But it hasn’t translated, not one bit. In fact, Amorim’s 36.4% win percentage across all competitions since leaving his homeland for Manchester has seen him plummet below all the other permanent post-Fergie managers, and given the frustrations and disappointment that come attached with some of those names, this is damning indeed.

Such plain-and-simple evidence plays into the fact that things need to change, and quickly.

Man United boast so much potential; summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both Premier League sensations last year, are a testament to that fact.

Maybe what INEOS need is a figure in the dugout who knows the division and can bring out such forward players’ potential.

Man Utd shortlist Premier League manager

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United have shortlisted Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola as they consider axing Amorim from his role in the dugout.

Manager Focus

Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner has also been considered for the role, with discussions even taking place for the FA Cup-winning manager, but Iraola could be a shrewder appointment.

It is understood that INEOS will act incisively if need be, and if Amorim fails to showcase some optimism and signs of a resurgence in the coming days, Sir Jim Ratcliffe may well be rewriting the script once again.

What Andoni Iraola would bring to Man Utd

Iraola’s Bournemouth play adaptable and attractive football, and that’s something that Manchester United need if they are to replace Amorim, whose obstinacy in sticking to his 3-4-2-1 formation has seemingly uprooted any semblance of positivity or synergy within the ranks.

Iraola, conversely, is willing to operate through different styles. Balance, energy and an impressive collective understanding all make for staples of the Spaniard’s managerial skill set, and his ability to eke out the best level from his forwards, in particular Dominic Solanke and Antoine Semenyo, suggests he could be the perfect manager to ensure Mbeumo’s attacking quality is put to good use in Manchester.

Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha hailed Iraola for his “incredibly impressive” start to life in the Premier League, and he has sustained Bournemouth’s form across his two seasons at the helm, not just emulating Eddie Howe’s record ninth-place finish in the top flight for the Cherries, but accruing ten more points (56 in total) too.

Semenyo has been crucial in getting the system up and running, having scored two goals and supplied an assist across Bournemouth’s opening two fixtures this season, notching 17 goal involvements across the 2024/25 campaign.

Iraola is the architect of the forward’s success, and he could certainly repeat the trick with the 26-year-old Mbeumo, who is more accurate, more clinical and more rounded in his attacking play.

Bournemouth’s esteemed coach, after all, has been described as “one of the best in the league” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Matches (starts)

37 (36)

38 (38)

Goals

11

20

Assists

5

7

Shots (on target)*

3.4 (1.1)

2.2 (1.1)

Big chances missed

12

9

Pass completion

78%

74%

Big chances created

11

17

Key passes*

1.2

1.8

Dribbles*

1.9

1.4

Ball recoveries*

4.3

4.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.7

Duels won*

6.1

4.7

Semenyo was linked with a £60m move to Tottenham Hotspur before signing a new contract at the Vitality Stadium this summer, with his exploits on the south coast leading analyst Ben Mattinson to hail him as a “workhorse” and a “duel monster”.

However, Mbeumo has demonstrated an even deadlier attacking sense in the Premier League with Brentford, and the comparable right-sided forwards, both with impressive underlying data, also have prolific touches in front of goal, Mbeumo more so.

If anything, United need stability and signs of progress within a structured system that has been proven within the English game.

Sadly, Amorim’s style is anything but that, and change might be required if Old Trafford wishes to return to the glory days.

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Sri Lankan cricketer has been granted bail for the parking-related altercation

Madushka Balasuriya09-Mar-2025Sri Lankan cricketer Ashen Bandara was arrested on Saturday after it was alleged that he had assaulted his neighbour following a parking-related issue. He has since been granted bail, and is expected to appear in court on March 12.According to the Sri Lanka police, the incident occurred on Saturday evening in Kolamunna, Piliyandala, where Bandara resides. Following an argument over a parked vehicle blocking the road, Bandara is alleged to have entered his neighbour’s house and assaulted the individual.”On Saturday evening one of the neighbours had complained of Bandara causing trouble, and that he had trespassed into someone’s house,” the Sri Lanka police said. “The verbal confrontation had then escalated into a physical one. He was arrested on suspicion of assault on Saturday night and bailed out on the same day.”When contacted for comment, Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said they would require further information on the incident before deciding on a course of action. De Silva also noted that while Bandara is not presently contracted centrally, he is under contract with Police SC in Sri Lanka’s National Super League, as such he could be liable for sullying the reputation of SLC.”We first need to look at the contract and also look at the incident. If he is thought to have brought SLC into disrepute, then there is further action that we can take,” de Silva said. “So we will discuss the matter internally and if it warrants an inquiry we will conduct one.”Bandara, 26, a middle-order batter renowned for his fielding, has played six ODIs and six T20Is. He last played for Sri Lanka in October 2023 as part of a largely second-string squad in the Asian Games. He last turned out for the first XI in January 2023.

Incoming Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has warned that cricket faces the greatest headwinds of domestic sports in the country but also has huge opportunities for growth and believes the game remains at the heart of Australian society.Greenberg was appointed as the successor to Nick Hockley earlier this week and will take up the role in March. The current Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO and former CEO of the National Rugby League, Greenberg had long been the front-runner for the job although CA undertook a global search for candidates.Greenberg decided to pursue the CA role when he concluded to himself, via a question on a whiteboard at home, that he could have a greater impact at head office than remaining with the ACA. He made clear he wanted to allow Hockley to complete his tenure without interference, but is well aware he will have a significant inbox of issues – both local and global – when he officially takes the role.Related

• Todd Greenberg announced as new Cricket Australia CEO

“I’m a realist,” he said speaking alongside CA chair Mike Baird in Adelaide ahead of the day-night Test against India. “I’d say this to you, and I said exactly the same thing to the board, in my view, in Australian sports, cricket has the biggest challenges coming to it of all the domestic sports, but it also has the greatest opportunity and ambition and to marry those two things together will be the definition of success. There are lots of challenges.”Pressed to expand on a major issue that will be at the forefront, he added: “I think it’s pretty clear that the global system of cricket is changing. Franchise cricket is putting pressure on bilateral cricket, and the way we have known cricket for such a long time in this country is changing in front of our very eyes.”That change can be really good and positive and commercial. We have to get our heads around that. Cricket is not a sport that has traditionally loved change, so we have to embrace that, and that takes leadership [and] it will take some courage, but it will also take us working together. You won’t hear a lot of ‘me’ and ‘I’, you’ll hear a lot of ‘us’, because it takes a village, and it’s going to take an entire cricket village, if we’re going to turn the ship.”Engaging with the fansGreenberg remained adamant that cricket retains a key place in the minds of the Australian public but believes there is work to be done in the relationship between them and Cricket Australia. It was a point also raised by Baird in a recent interview with newspapers where he referenced the resting of key players from the final ODI against Pakistan.”I think that’s got some real improvement to make,” he said. “And I think the improvement starts with just communication. We want to explain the reasons why we might do certain things. And again, that might polarise opinion. Sometimes people might not agree, and that’s okay, but I think it starts from the premise of being really strong communicators, and you’ve got one of the best in the business as the chair, and I’m going to hope to sort of support him on that.”As ever for a CA CEO, there will also be the challenge of maintaining relationships with the state and territory associations which can often bring points of tension.”They’ll always be matters of conflict and there’ll be difficult conversations,” Greenberg said. “But the conversations you resist are the conversations you probably most need to have. So being honest and upfront with people and building relationships. I think we’ve done a good job of that in the game over the last couple of years, but I don’t think that work’s anywhere near finished.”Steve Smith and Pat Cummins look on at training•Mark Brake/Getty Images

An aging men’s Test teamGreenberg also acknowledged there would need to be some tough conversations about how to manage the transition of players in the Test side which currently has just one – Nathan McSweeney – under the age of 30 amid concerns that there could be an exodus of talent in a short space of time that leaves the team exposed.”We do have a more aging side, particularly in red-ball cricket, and that won’t be easy,” he said. “There have to be hard and honest conversations between players and staff, and I think those are happening to be fair. In saying that, though, the professionalism of modern athletes are tending to take them longer in their careers; the way we take care of them, the way we rehab them, the way they take care of themselves. I think it’s a very fine balance. We’ve got an incredibly successful two teams. Our men and women have had an amazing couple of years. Let’s make sure we keep our foot on the gas and continue to support them.”Greenberg was confident that the strong relationship he has built with the players in his four years at the ACA will continue even though he will now need to take an overarching view of sport.”It does bring a different way [of looking at the game],” he said of his new role. “But in saying that, I think one thing I’ve been consistent on over my four years is that, and the message has been delivered to the players, they’re probably sick of me saying it to them, but for them to grow, the game’s got to grow, and we need to go together. The players enjoy a revenue share, which means if the sport grows, they grow with it. And so I’ve been consistent from day one [saying], if the players in the game work together, we can just about achieve anything.”

Stumps Ravindra Jadeja bowled 22 unchanged overs in the oppressive heat and humidity of Mumbai to pick up his 14th Test five-wicket haul and help bowl New Zealand out for 235. However, India threw away the advantage with the loss of three wickets in the last two overs of the day to end at 86 for 4.Jadeja had to work much harder for his wickets than New Zealand did at the fag end of the day. It included bowling through the whole middle session, during which Washington Sundar, who took four wickets, went off the field to rehydrate, and the batters got drinks almost every three overs.Jadeja’s was a timely intervention, as Daryl Mitchell and Will Young, half-centurions both, threatened to run away to a big total on a pitch that showed enough signs – with puffs of dust and variable turn – that it was going to be a nightmare for the side batting last. Mitchell and Young added 87 runs in a fourth-wicket partnership that looked under more threat from dehydration than the bowling.The collapse from 159 for 3 to 235 all out brought some respite for India, playing to avoid their second-ever series whitewash at home (of two or more Tests) and also vital WTC points. However, the last two overs – Yashasvi Jaiswal bowled to a reverse-sweep, the nightwatcher Mohammed Siraj burning a review, Virat Kohli running himself out – were a downer for them.Virat Kohli was run out looking for a quick single•BCCI

That’s because they had got into a desirable position after Tom Latham won another important toss and got the right to bat in the best batting conditions of the match. He led New Zealand’s initial progress even though he lost Devon Conway to Akash Deep from around the wicket. A pace attack missing Jasprit Bumrah was only going to go so far. R Ashwin came on to bowl as early as the eighth over, the last time of the day he would be considered the likeliest spinner to get wickets.Latham scored 28 off 44 before a vexing one-two from Washington sent him back. From a near identical spot, with near identical seam orientation, Washington beat the inside edge one ball and the outside edge next ball to take out top of off stump. For the third time in three times of asking, Washington hit the off stump of Rachin Ravindra with a near identical delivery to leave New Zealand delicately poised at 72 for 3.The half-an-hour to lunch was a nervous period for Young and Mitchell as both their edges were threatened regularly. Post lunch, though, the pitch settled down for an hour and a bit. With the temperature hitting 37 degrees, the high humidity of the coast and little breeze, this session tested everybody’s fitness. The batters got a drink every couple of overs to go with iced towels or ice packs around their necks.Every now and then, the ball turned if Jadeja slowed it down, but he was looking for quick turn. Young and Mitchell, though, looked at ease. The sweeps and reverse-sweeps were employed to good effect, but Young also danced down the wicket to languidly loft the ball. This was Young’s first fifty of the series even though he has given the impression he has been the most comfortable batter on either side.Ravindra Jadeja acknowledges the cheers after his 14th Test five-for•BCCI

Washington, Siraj and Ashwin bowled from the other end, but Jadeja kept going from his. Towards the end of the session, he got what he wanted: turn at high pace. Now he was in it. Young edged to slip one that turned at 94kph. Three balls later, Blundell saw one pitch on leg and hit off at 92kph. Puffs of dust started making more regular appearances.Now Jadeja took full control. He kept attacking the stumps with subtle changes of pace and the occasional undercutter. He took out Glenn Phillips with one that didn’t turn to go past Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma into the list for top-five wicket-takers for India.India began the final session with Jadeja and Washington again, something that will hurt the competitor in Ashwin. Jadeja wasted little time to dismiss Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry in the same over. Sodhi fell to one that turned and stayed low, and Henry was bowled on the off to Jadeja’s slowest wicket-taking delivery: at 90kmph.Whatever the support staff did to Mitchell during the tea break worked wonders as he found enough energy to hit three sixes in three Washington overs after having struggled to run during the middle session.Mitchell didn’t farm the strike with the No. 10 for company, but eventually made a mental error by guiding a flat delivery straight to slip just like how coaches do during catching drills. Not before having scored 82, though. Ajaz Patel, on whom lay the onus to improve dramatically from Pune, hit a six before padding up to one that didn’t turn, giving Washington his fourth wicket.Daryl Mitchell celebrates his fifty•Getty Images

Rohit Sharma enjoyed some early luck as Will O’Rourke dropped him at long leg, but his attacking mindset meant he had committed too much to a forceful shot when Henry seamed one ball away. The Rohit that went to England in 2021 would have had time to bail out, but now he just edged it to second slip.Jaiswal and Shubman Gill weathered the storm to assuage fears of a repeat of what happened in Pune. They even began to dominate the bowling in a 53-run second-wicket stand. Then, with about ten minutes to stumps, Jaiswal was beaten on the reverse-sweep, the first time he has got out to the shot in Test cricket having tried it 14 times previously for 36 runs. Ajaz then bowled perhaps his best delivery to Mohammed Siraj first up, pitching on leg and hitting off. For some reason, though, Siraj decided to review it.Amid the DRS drama, Kohli walked in for the first time this series without an applause for the wicket preceding him. Part-time spinner Ravindra tried the old left-arm-spinner-full-toss trick but Kohli got past the lethal delivery – it had been his downfall in the previous Test – with a boundary. However, he couldn’t get the better of his own instinct of running with the shot despite hitting the ball firmly enough to mid-on. The only way Kohli could survive this was if Henry misfielded or missed. He did neither.

Both sides could potentially field three spin-options each, but for a result to be possible, rain has to stay away

Madushka Balasuriya17-Sep-20241:24

Phillips: ‘SL is a tough place to come and win’

Big picture: Shades of 2019 in 2024A lot has happened since New Zealand last toured Sri Lanka. Back then, in 2019, the world was yet to be introduced to Covid-19, while the Lankans were only just recovering from Rangana Herath’s retirement. Fast forward to the present, the pandemic is firmly in the rearview while Herath is gearing up to for duty as New Zealand’s spin-bowling coach.That said, similarities also abound from that last tour. For one, like then, Sri Lanka enter buoyed by a historic result overseas – then it was a momentous series win in South Africa, and in 2024 it’s a consolatory Test win in England to cap off a hard-fought tour. The 2019 series was also held in a presidential election year, though that one was not nearly as imminent as the one set to interrupt the first Test with a rest day.Related

Oshada Fernando back in squad for Sri Lanka's Tests against New Zealand

This is also still, largely, that same New Zealand outfit – barring a few retirements, a few new faces and a bit more grey hair. It’s also one that might be a little undercooked in terms of where they might like to be in preparation for their run at this cycle of the World Test Championship.A washed-out Test against Afghanistan earlier this month means the last time New Zealand played a Test was in March, while they haven’t had a competitive fixture since the World Cup in June.They’re still nominally well-placed in the WTC standings in third place, with three wins and three losses, but two Tests in spin-friendly Galle – where they’ve never won – followed by three more in India reads a fairly tall task.As for Sri Lanka, they’ve had a fairly rollercoaster year. Good performances in the early part of the year against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Bangladesh were juxtaposed by a horror T20 World Cup showing, which was then followed by a quite excellent ODI series win against India at home. In England too, they were in danger of being embarrassed but a splendid display in the third Test ensured they would come into this home series with that winning bounce.That last win could still prove pivotal in their quest for an unlikely WTC final berth, with four of their next six Tests at home. The weather, however, might be following the visitors over from Greater Noida in India, with rain expected across the first Test.Form guideSri Lanka: WLLWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
New Zealand: DLLWWPrabath Jayasuriya has 53 wickets in 12 innings at Galle•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Jayasuriya and RavindraWhen it comes to Galle-related threats, there’s nowhere else to start than Prabath Jayasuriya. Of his eight home Tests, six have been at Galle, where he boasts a preposterous record of 53 wickets across 12 innings. In half of those innings, he’s grabbed at least five wickets, while only once has he picked up less than a three-for. Jayasuriya was sidelined for the tour of England, not even playing in the final Test, and he’ll be keen to seize the spotlight once more.Rachin Ravindra has already made his mark in white-ball cricket but his Test career is still fledgling. Even so, with a double-ton to his name and batting in that crucial number four position, he is undoubtedly an integral cog in New Zealand’s setup – for the present and the future – but where he might be of particular use is in the subcontinent. Five of his seven Tests have been played at home, and so he is relatively untested on Asian tracks, but his combination of left-arm orthodox spin and strong batting fundamentals means he has all the ingredients to translate that strong home form into away returns.Team news: Who will be NZ’s second seamer?Oshada Fernando is back in the Test squad for the first time in over the year, but Sri Lanka have opted not to change up a winning combination, at least in terms of the batting. Kusal Mendis will take the gloves but as a result, will not bat at no.3. This will see Dinesh Chandimal pushed up the order, while Mendis will move lower down the order to no.7. Spin will be front and centre, so Ramesh Mendis will offer support to Prabath Jayasuriya.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Kusal Mendis (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Lahiru KumaraMuch of New Zealand’s playing XI picks itself, with part-time spin options aplenty to support Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel. There are only question marks over the second seam option alongside Tim Southee.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Matt Henry/Ben Sears/Will O’Rourke, 11 Ajaz Patel.Pitch and conditions: Rain on the horizon There’s rain expected across all five days of the Test, including the rest day on day four. With the Galle surface usually deteriorating by days four and five, winning the toss and batting first is almost mandatory.Stats and trivia Only on five occasions has the side winning the toss opted not to bat first in Galle, they’ve won on two of those. Lahiru Kumara is four wickets away from becoming the eighth Sri Lankan to 100 Test wickets. Henry Nicholls is 27 runs short of 3,000 Test runs. New Zealand have lost all four Tests they’ve played in Galle. Tim Southee’s 64 wickets is the highest by an active player against Sri Lanka, though only 19 of those have come away. Quotes”Chandimal took up the gloves and played in the middle order for the sake of the team, but he won’t be keeping in this Test, which means he will move up to number three. Whoever takes up the gloves will bat in the lower middle order.” – “Having just his experience and knowledge of conditions here in this part of the world, and particularly a ground that he had a lot of success on, has been great. Our guys have been working closely with him and it’s nice to have that knowledge floating around the changing room.” – New Zealand captain Tim Southee is grateful for Rangana Herath’s expertise as spin-bowling coach.