Sri Lanka

Dhananjaya de Silva: 7/10
2 Tests | 95 runs at 31.67, HS: 44 | 4 wickets at 22.75, BBI: 2-31 | C: 6

Not many runs for de Silva, but all four of his wickets were top-order batters, and he held six catches. He also took a bold call by leaving Ramesh Mendis out of the second Test. 

Kamindu Mendis: 9.5/10
2 Tests | 309 runs at 154.50, HS: 182*, 100s: 1

Promoted to No.5, the Sri Lankan run-machine went through his usual routine of amassing runs and keeping the statisticians busy. These are still early days, but we might be witnessing a legendary career taking flight. 

 

Kusal Mendis: 8.5/10
2 Tests | 179 runs at 89.50, HS: 106*, 100s: 1, 50s: 1 | C: 2 St: 2

The demotion to No.7 did Kusal a world of good, as he demonstrated with a hundred in the second Test. Gets half a point for his neat glovework.

Dinesh Chandimal: 8/10
2 Tests | 207 runs at 69.00, HS: 116, 100s: 1, 50s: 1

Yet another change in the batting order that worked out well. Chandimal, the No.3, celebrated his promotion with a ton.

Angelo Mathews: 7.5/10
2 Tests | 174 runs at 58.00, HS: 88, 50s: 2

The 36 and the half-century in the first Test match were pivotal to his team’s triumph, while there was also an 88 in the second Test. There is still some life in those legs, after all. 

Dimuth Karunaratne: 6.5/10
2 Tests | 131 runs at 43.67, HS: 83, 50s: 1

Karunaratne’s second-innings 83 in the first Test helped Sri Lanka post what eventually turned out to be a winning target. He also made 46 in the second Test.

Pathum Nissanka: 2/10
2 Tests | 30 runs at 10.00, HS: 27

A forgettable series after he went off to a blazing start on the first morning.

Ramesh Mendis: 5/10
1 Test | 15 runs at 7.50, HS: 14 | 6 wickets at 30.67, BBI: 3-83

Ramesh claimed six wickets he bowled too many loose balls, prompting de Silva to take a harsh call despite the win.

Prabath Jayasuriya: 8.5/10
2 Tests | 18 wickets at 21.38, BBI: 6-42, 5WIs: 2

Jayasuriya’s success in Test cricket in Sri Lanka has an air of inevitability about it. There were a few magical deliveries, but the overlying factor were his accuracy and control. There was no respite for New Zealand from his end throughout the series.

Lahiru Kumara: 3/10
1 Test | 14-5-43-0

There was little he could do in an attack that was set to rely on spin, and he did little.

Asitha Fernando: 5/10
2 Tests | 2 wickets at 26.00, BBI: 1-5

Both his wickets were of opening batters.

Nishan Peiris: 8.5/10
1 Test | 9 wickets at 22.55, BBI: 6-170, 5WIs: 1

The newest kid on the block impressed everyone with his control and the odd one that zipped through. Matching Jayasuriya wicket for wicket in Sri Lanka is no mean feat for a debutant.

Milan Rathnayake: 2/10
1 Test | 2-0-7-0

Just two overs, and no outing with the bat.

New Zealand

Tim Southee: 1/10
2 Tests | 2 wickets at 78.50, BBI: 1-48

An utterly forgettable series for the New Zealand captain. He looked harmless with the ball, while there was no tactical brilliance to write home about.

Glenn Phillips: 7/10
2 Tests | 131 runs at 43.67, HS: 78, 50s: 1 | 5 wickets at 48.60, BBI: 3-141

A fifty and an unbeaten 49 to go with five wickets, three of which came in the same innings. Not used to bowling long spells (he had never bowled 20 in an innings), Phillips sent down 38 overs in the second Test, and looked a specialist spinner for most of it.

Rachin Ravindra: 5/10
2 Tests | 153 runs at 38.25, HS: 92, 50s: 1 | 19.4-0-77-0

An excellent 92 in the fourth innings of the first Test kept New Zealand in the game, but Ravindra did little else in the series.

Kane Williamson: 5/10
2 Tests | 138 runs at 34.50, HS: 55, 50s: 1

Williamson now averages below 35 in four countries. In Sri Lanka, that number rose with this series – but to only 29.54. More was expected of a batter of his calibre.

Tom Blundell: 5/10
2 Tests | 116 runs at 29.00, HS: 60, 50s: 1 | C: 4 St: 1

Blundell batted well for his fifty and two cameos, but none of these innings was significant enough to write home about. Gets half a point for wicketkeeping.

Tom Latham: 4/10
2 Tests | 100 runs at 25.00, HS: 70, 50s: 1

Latham batted well in the first Test, especially in the first innings, but had an ordinary second Test.

Mitchell Santner: 3/10
2 Tests | 100 runs at 25.00, HS: 67, 50s: 1 | 1 wicket at 197.00, BBI: 1-51

As the numbers suggest, Santner was the least penetrative of all the spinners across the two sides. The batting record does not seem too bad, but two-third of his runs came when all was lost.

Devon Conway: 3/10
2 Tests | 91 runs at 22.75, HS: 61, 50s: 1

Conway took on Sri Lanka – Jayasuriya included – after New Zealand followed on in the second Test, but that was his only innings of any note.

Daryl Mitchell: 3/10
2 Tests | 79 runs at 19.75, HS: 57, 50s: 1

Mitchell’s 57 was one of several middling scores in the first innings for New Zealand in the series, but that was about it.

Ajaz Patel: 6/10
2 Tests | 38 runs at 12.67, HS: 22 | 8 wickets at 35.62, BBI: 6-90, 5WIs: 1

Ajaz’s six-wicket haul in the second innings of the first Test was testimony to his perseverance and toil. The numbers would have looked different had there been another spinner of quality. 

William O’Rourke: 9/10
2 Tests | 8 wickets at 23.12, BBI: 5-55, 5WIs: 1

How good was O’Rourke? The other seamers across the two sides took four wickets between them – at 71 apiece. In the first innings of the first Test, he demonstrated his ability to break through. In the second innings, he showed how well he could adapt. His time will come.

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