Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by an innings & 154 runs

Sri Lanka confirmed a commanding victory over New Zealand, winning by an innings and 154 runs in Galle. This result marks a disappointing whitewash for the Kiwis in the two-match Test series.

Prabath Jayasuriya was awarded the Player of the Series after taking 18 wickets across both matches. Meanwhile, Kamindu Mendis, who played a remarkable innings of 182 runs, was named Player of the Match. In the second innings, Nishan Peiris made a significant contribution by claiming 6 wickets, effectively halting the New Zealand batting lineup.

With this win, Sri Lanka has now secured three consecutive Test victories, having previously beaten England by 8 wickets at The Oval before returning home. This latest triumph strengthens their position on the ICC World Test Championship points table, where they currently sit in third place.

In the first innings, New Zealand struggled to reach 100 runs in response to Sri Lanka’s massive total of 602. Jayasuriya's outstanding performance saw him take 6 wickets, limiting the Kiwis to just 88 runs. Forced to follow on, New Zealand fared slightly better in their second innings, scoring 360 runs, but it was not enough to avert a heavy defeat.