Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The makeup of the bowling attack is the main talking point for the Black Caps ahead of the two-test series against Sri Lanka which starts in Galle on Wednesday.
New Zealand have five spin bowling options with the possibility that four of them will play.
Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel are the most experienced, while Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips are the other options. Ravindra and Phillips are likely to play as all-rounders.
"It will be a spin heavy side with a couple of pace bowling options," captain Tim Southee said on the eve of the game.
Who will partner Southee with the new ball is the other issue with Matt Henry probably having the edge over Will O'Rourke and Ben Sears.
Southee said the Galle International Stadium wicket is as expected.
"A good surface which will take some turn as the test goes on.
"We've been trying to get as much information about it from (bowling advisor) Rangana Herath who obviously has a phenomenal record at the ground."
Herath played 19 tests for Sri Lanka at the ground taking 102 wickets.
Sri Lanka are coming off a win over England in the third test at The Oval.
"They'll be full of confidence and they now come home to conditions they're use to," Southee said.
The Black Caps go into the game with no test play under their belt since last summer after the one-off test against Afghanistan last week was rained off.
"We still managed a couple of training's there and we've had some great training's here and while we didn't get outside much in Greater Noida, the team bonding was a positive.
"We're excited, we're as strong as we can be and we're looking forward to getting out and getting into it."
Galle International Cricket ground, 2023. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
History:
New Zealand and Sri Lanka have met 38 times in tests, with New Zealand winning 18 of those and Sri Lanka nine.
New Zealand have won five of the 17 tests played in Sri Lanka, but have lost all four played in Galle.
The first time the two sides met there was in 1998 when Kumar Dharmasena took six for 72 in the first innings and then Mahela Jayawardena hit 167 as the hosts won by an innings and 16 runs.
In 2009, Sri Lanka had four centurions and Muthiah Muralidaran took seven wickets as they scored a 202 run victory.
In 2016, current Black Caps bowling adviser Rangana Herath took 11 wickets in a 10 wicket victory.
2019 was the last time the two sides played a test there and Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored a century to guide the home side to a six wicket win.
In those four tests not one New Zealander scored a century with Ross Taylor's 86 in 2019, the highest individual score.
Of the 34 tests Sri Lanka have played at the Galle International Stadium, they have won 19 and lost just eight.
