The first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand begins on September 18. A rest day is set for September 21 to accommodate the presidential elections. This break will allow players to rest and regroup during the match.
he first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, starting September 18 in Galle, will span six days with a rest day on September 21 to accommodate the presidential elections. This match is part of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
This will be the first Test to include a rest day since the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test in Dhaka in 2008, which also had a rest day for parliamentary elections. The last rest day in Sri Lanka occurred in December 2001 during a Test against Zimbabwe due to a full moon holiday. In England, Sundays used to be rest days in Tests until the 1990s.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka last met in a Test series in early 2023, which New Zealand won 2-0 at home. New Zealand’s previous tour of Sri Lanka in 2019 ended in a 1-1 draw in Tests, with New Zealand winning the T20I series 2-1.
New Zealand will tour Sri Lanka after playing a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida. They also have upcoming Test series against India and England before Sri Lanka visits New Zealand in December for three T20Is and three ODIs.