NZ captain Tim Southee confident ahead of Sri Lanka Test series

Tim Southee believes a six-month hiatus from Test cricket will not be an issue for New Zealand as they head into a busy red-ball schedule over the next three months.

The Black Caps captain spoke to reporters on the eve of New Zealand’s first Test against Sri Lanka, which is the first of eight Tests the Kiwis will play between now and December.

“We’ve had a bit of a break from Test cricket since the end of our home summer and now we’ve got an important part in terms of the Test championship cycle,” Southee said on Tuesday.

“We’ve got eight games between now and December, so it’s an exciting time for us as a Test side and tough times ahead of us.

“Here in Sri Lanka obviously, India in India and then England at home.”

New Zealand play five away Tests — two in Sri Lanka and three in India — before returning home to host England in a three-match series.

These Tests represent the Black Caps’ final shot at earning points in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle, with five wins likely required if they are to make the final next June.

Already, their chances of qualifying have taken a hit, as last week’s Test against Afghanistan was washed out, causing the points to be shared.

“Yeah, it was disappointing [not to play against Afghanistan] but we still spent a week [in India] which we got some positives out of,” Southee said.

“We got some training in, some great training here.

“We spent some time together as a Test side, been a while since we’ve been together.

“So, to have that time, and bonding over that time in India was important as well.”

Cricket betting sites are expecting a tight contest for the first Test in Galle, which begins on Wednesday at 10am local time.

Sri Lanka are given the edge at Bovada with odds of +125 for the win, while New Zealand are paying +275 and the draw is at +175.

Southee expects New Zealand’s balanced squad to help them be competitive in Asian conditions.

“You look at the balance of squad, we’ve got specialist spinners, we’ve got guys at the top of the order that can offer spin options, as well as four quality seam bowlers that offer different options as well,” he said.

“I think we’ve got a number of bases covered, I guess it’s just figuring out what balance is the right one to go in with in these conditions.

“I think historically here, Galle in particular, spin has played a pretty big part.

“But as pace bowlers if you can come here and do well, that’s a tough challenge but a very rewarding challenge.”

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