Big picture: Test thrills augur well

In that game, the visitors, in pursuit of an unlikely World Test Championship berth, ran the defending WTC champions as close as pretty much anyone could have imagined. And in the process garnered some well-deserved respect from the wider cricketing world.

Since the start of the ODI World Cup Super League, Sri Lanka have lost away to West Indies, Bangladesh and England, while their home record has been marginally better, losing to India, beating South Africa and, most recently, drawing against Afghanistan.

The ODI side's nadir was arguably reached earlier this year during a 3-0 drubbing in India - a particularly tough pill to swallow in a World Cup year in the same country, especially as the T20I series that preceded had seen them take the hosts to series decider. While any silver linings in Sri Lanka's recent one-day history might seem like wizard-level straw-clutching, the record will nevertheless also show a 3-2 series win at home to Australia last year - so, yeah, there is that.

Which brings us to the present, where for Sri Lanka to have any hopes of automatic qualification for the World Cup later this year they need to complete a whitewash of New Zealand in the week or so ahead - and even then, they're heavily dependent on South Africa fluffing their lines in a series against Netherlands.

What they might have going for them is that the hosts won't exactly be at full strength. With World Cup qualification secured, and conditions in India unlikely to be anything like what the likes of Auckland, Christchurch and Hamilton have to offer, New Zealand have given clearance for no less than nine ODI regulars to play in the IPL.

Sri Lanka meanwhile have a relatively settled unit and, save for the absence of Dushmantha Chameera, will likely be able to put out their strongest XI. On paper at least they look the stronger side.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

New Zealand: WWWWW
Sri Lanka: LLLWL

In the spotlight: Matt Henry and Angelo Mathews

Pitch and conditions: Bright conditions in prospect

Eden Park hasn't had much ODI cricket of late, but the last two games have seen 300-plus chased down and 273 defended. The pitch has also been known to aid spin. Weather is expected to be nice and sunny.

Team news

On a surface that has been known to aid spin on occasion, New Zealand could go with two spinners, which might mean a potential debut for allrounder Rachin Ravindra. One or both of batter Chad Bowes and seamer Ben Lister, both uncapped, are also in contention to play.

New Zealand (probable) XI: 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Finn Allen, 3 Chad Bowes, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Glenn Phillips 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Rachin Ravindra/Ish Sodhi, 8 Blair Tickner/Ben Lister, 9 Henry Shipley, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will Young

Sri Lanka (probable) XI: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Nuwanidu Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya De Silva, 7 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Lahiru Kumara, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Maheesh Theekshana/Matheesha Pathirana

Stats and trivia