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Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by an innings and 154 runs at Galle on Sunday, September 29, in the second and final Test of their two-match series. With the 2-0 clean sweep, Sri Lanka clinched their first Test series win against the Kiwis in 15 years.
New Zealand went down without a fight in the second Test, with their batters failing to make a significant impact. In response to Sri Lanka's massive 602-run first-innings total, the visitors were bundled out for a paltry score of 88.
They came up with an improved performance in the subsequent innings after Sri Lanka enforced the follow-on, scoring 360 runs. It is worth mentioning that New Zealand are yet to win a single away Test series since the introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2019.
Following their embarrassing loss to Sri Lanka at Galle, several fans took to social media, trolling the Blackcaps for yet another failed outing away from home. Here are some of the top reactions:
A few cricket fans opined that New Zealand have been a 'home track bully', given that they have consistently struggled to perform in away encounters.
"Unlucky New Zealand in away, they can only win in their home poor from New Zealand Cricket," wrote a fan.
"New Zealand has had a strong home record, but struggling in away series shows the challenges of international cricket," commented another.
"Home track bully newzealand have lost yet another test series outside newzealand. This time srilanka have trashed them 2-0 By an innings and 154 runs in the 2nd test. By seeing this performance india can easily whitewash this clueless newzealand side 3-0," chimed in yet another.
New Zealand, the champions of the inaugural WTC, are placed seventh in the points table in the current cycle. They will now tour India for a three-match Test series, beginning October 16.
"A week at home and we regroup and go to India" - New Zealand skipper Tim Southee
Speaking at the post-match presentation after the second Test, New Zealand skipper Tim Southee mentioned that the conditions in Sri Lanka were very challenging.
He emphasized that the side need to regroup and come back strong in their upcoming series against India, where the conditions are expected to be similar to what they faced in Sri Lanka. Southee said:
" Very tough. On the wrong side this week but it's a tough place to come to Galle. Sri Lanka play some great cricket. Yeah I think especially in this match (that NZ played under par). In the first match, we had a good chance to push for a better result. A week at home and we regroup and go to India, it is very similar to this part of the world and we will take some learnings from here. We will find some positives - the way we played in the second innings was good. We enjoyed our time here."
The Test series opener between India and New Zealand will be played at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The second (beginning October 24) and third (beginning November 1) fixtures will take place at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, and Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, respectively.
