New Zealand’s defeat in the second Test of the series against Sri Lanka was another setback for the visiting team. the first Test, which Sri Lanka won handily and against the Black Caps caused a major upset. For their own benefit, the hosts were also able to respond in the second match.
At the Galle International Stadium, Sri Lanka was batting first when the match started, and they had a fantastic opening display. Dinesh Chandimal scored 116 runs in 208 deliveries after Dimuth Karunaratne opened the batting with a 46-run performance.
In addition, Angelo Mathews scored 88 runs, Kamindu Mendis amassed 182 runs without losing, and Kusal Mendis contributed 106* runs. Ultimately, Sri Lanka amassed 602/5 in the first innings, which prompted a declaration.
When New Zealand batted first, the team was bowled out for a pitiful 88 runs in the opening session. With 29 runs scored, Mitchell Santner was the top scorer. New Zealand lost the Test by an innings and 154 runs after posting a total of 360 runs in the second innings of play.
New Zealand drops to seventh in the WTC rankings.
Regarding the most recent alterations to the World Test Championship 2023–25 Cycle rankings, following their crushing of the Tim Southee-led team, Sri Lanka now holds third spot. But the Black Caps’ defeat in the second Test has sent them even farther down the ladder.
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With three victories and five defeats in eight games following the second Test, New Zealand is currently at eighth in the WTC rankings. However, in nine games, Sri Lanka had five victories and four defeats.
World Test Championship Points Table (2023-2025):
| Pos. | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points | PCT (%) |
| 1 | India | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 86 | 71.67 |
| 2 | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 90 | 62.50 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 60 | 55.56 |
| 4 | England | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 81 | 42.19 |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 39.29 |
| 6 | South Africa | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 38.89 |
| 7 | New Zealand | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 37.50 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 19.05 |
| 9 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 18.52 |
India
