One of the heroes of Wellington, Neil Wagner, says he expects a torrid battle against Sri Lanka. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Black Caps are pushing the reset button ahead of their first assignment after the highs of a remarkable test win in Wellington last week.
They face a Sri Lankan test team in Christchurch from today. The visitors are still in contention for a world test championship final berth and the test is one the hosts refuse to take lightly.
Fast bowler Matt Henry said there had been little time to revel in their historic series-levelling win over England at the Basin Reserve.
"The ebbs and flows of that game were quite extreme, so it's fantastic to come off the back of that," he said.
"But with the nature of cricket being a quick turnaround, our focus turned to Sri Lanka pretty soon after."
After recovering from a back injury that restricted his workload at the Basin, the Cantabrian said he was looking forward to the pace and bounce that his home track would offer at Hagley Oval.
Henry said Sri Lanka would ask different questions of their bowlers, compared to the "Bazball" onslaught of recent weeks.
"Sri Lanka will pose different challenges and they've got a strong batting lineup as well.
"With this group, we talk a lot about adapting out there and assessing the conditions and how we go about that.
"We obviously have our plans and how we want to approach the game with their specific players."
The visitors will be led by opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne who averaged over 43 with the bat against New Zealand.
Sri Lanka led by opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne are ready to face the Black Caps in Christchurch. Photo: Photosport
Further down the order and Dinesh Chandimal had been in blistering form with an average of just under 78 in his last eight tests.
However the tourists have had limited success on these shores, with just two wins from 19 tests played here, with their last victory more than 16 years ago.
But the side remain in contention for a World Test Championship final berth and currently sit third in the standings behind Australia and India.
One of the heroes of Wellington, Neil Wagner, said he expected a torrid battle against the Lions.
"The last test series we played here, they held on for a good draw in Wellington (in 2018) and showed a lot of fight. The characteristics of their team is to show a lot of fight and they'll be up for it.
"They still have a chance to make the final and we know what that's like a couple of years to have that opportunity and to win matches, it definitely lifts you to play your best cricket."
Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews said they were not over-thinking the task at hand.
"We know we have to win both tests to make the final and we have to play really good cricket, so it's pretty straightforward.
"Beating the Kiwis in New Zealand will be a huge task but we certainly can.
"Last time we played some good cricket over here, we just didn't get over the line, but hopefully we can this time."
The quicker Hagley Oval deck presents a potential opportunity for a second test for Black Cap right armer Blair Tickner.
Tickner flew back home to Hawke's Bay to help his family with cyclone cleanup following his test debut at Mount Maunganui.
"Yeah [my family] are getting there, it's going to be a long recovery," Tickner said.
"People are still living at other people's houses and the rebuild is going to be a long process.
"It's a really hard one to understand if you're not in the Hawke's Bay."
To help cyclone affected families, the Black Caps had gifted the Red Cross two framed test shirts to auction, signed by both teams involved in last week's historic Basin Reserve test.
New Zealand's one-day-international clash with Sri Lanka in Auckland on 25 March is also planned to serve as a cyclone fundraiser.
