New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka opened with a two-Test series at the Galle International Stadium. The first match began on September 18th, with Sri Lanka choosing to bat first after winning the toss. They managed 305 runs in 91.5 overs, highlighted by a century from Kamindu Mendis (114 off 173) and a half-century from Kusal Mendis (50 off 68). New Zealand's response was led by William O’Rourke, who took a five-wicket haul, while Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips took two wickets apiece.
New Zealand responded strongly in their first innings, scoring 340 runs in 90.5 overs and establishing a 35-run lead. Key contributions came from Tom Latham (70), Kane Williamson (55), Daryl Mitchell (57), and Glenn Phillips, who remained unbeaten on 49. For Sri Lanka, Prabath Jayasuriya was the standout bowler with 4 wickets, aided by Ramesh Mendis (3) and Dhananjaya de Silva (2).
In their second outing, Sri Lanka played a disciplined game, racking up 309 runs in 94.2 overs. Karunaratne led with 83, Angelo Mathews added 50, and Captain De Silva contributed 40. However, Ajaz Patel dominated the bowling with 6 wickets, and William O’Rourke took 3. This left New Zealand chasing 275 runs. The chase started poorly as Tom Latham (28), Davon Conway (4), and Kane Williamson (30) were all dismissed early. Despite this, Rachin Ravindra stepped up at number 4 and fought hard to keep the game alive.
While Ravindra showed great resilience with a half-century, the rest of the New Zealand lineup struggled. Daryl Mitchell (8), Tom Blondel (30), Glenn Phillips (4), Tim Southee (2), and Mitchell Santner (2) all fell, putting immense pressure on the visitors. As the game moved into the fifth day, New Zealand still needed 68 runs with only two wickets remaining.
Sri Lanka wasted no time on the final morning in Galle, wrapping up the game in just 15 minutes. The hopes of a New Zealand comeback rested entirely on Rachin Ravindra, but his valiant effort ended at 92 runs (including 9 fours and a six). Ultimately, Sri Lanka bowled New Zealand out for 211 in 71.4 overs, securing a 63-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the series.
The second innings was dominated by Prabath Jayasuriya, who claimed 5 wickets, while Ramesh Mendis took 3. Jayasuriya's ability to pick up the final two wickets was crucial in sealing the 63-run win at the Galle International Stadium.
This result has pushed Sri Lanka up to 3rd place in the 2025 Test Championship standings with a points percentage of 50%, while New Zealand has dropped to 4th with 42.85%. Consequently, India's path to the 2025 finals looks even more promising, as they currently hold 71.67% of the points.