It's onward and upward for Kumar Sangakkara and company as they look to build on their series victory over Pakistan. Back to full strength with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Prasanna Jayawardene fit again, Sri Lanka are faced with the opportunity of surging to the number-two spot in the Test Championship rankings (subject to the result of the fifth Ashes Test).

They couldn't have asked for easier opposition to do this against and with not one of their XI's form in question, the first Test - and the next - may well end up being one-way traffic.

With Malinda Warnapura duly taking a back seat to returning Dilshan, their only selection poser is whether or not to pick Ajantha Mendis ahead of Angelo Mathews. Three specialist spinners hardly seems farfetched when fielding just two means leaving Mendis out for Herath and, if anything, Muralitharan's comeback from injury has brought more question than presumption for the selectors. Mahela Jayawardene's little medium-pacers may be in for a couple of stopgap spells should Mathews find himself carrying the drinks...

Meanwhile, it's all eyes on New Zealand's hopes of combating Sri Lanka's spin battalion as their two-Test series gets underway on Tuesday and by all accounts - including their own admission - it's going to be an uphill battle for the visiting side.

There's a sense of desperation rather than preparation in the touring camp, who have hauled in the services of former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and some Muttiah Muralitharan-esque bowler - Maurice Holmes - to help them not get out, and hopefully accumulate some runs in the process, against Herath, Mendis, et al.

It's a particularly tough task considering not one of the Black Caps' top six batsmen sport Test experience in Sri Lanka, a potential fallibility coach Trevor Bayliss will have made Herath and company well aware of. The odds are well and truly stacked against Daniel Vettori's men going into the series opener and the fact that it is being hosted at a veritable fortress for the home side - who have only endured two losses in 14 outings at Galle - won't help the Kiwis' cause either.

However, Daniel Flynn professes to have done his homework on Sri Lankan surfaces, Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum will nine times out of 10 assume that the best form of defence is attack and, judging by their two warm-up matches prior to the first Test, the rest of New Zealand's order may be able to succeed - or at least last longer - where Pakistan couldn't a couple of weeks prior.

Their bowling ranks make for intriguing reading: the return of Chris Martin, the exclusion of James Franklin and the inclusion of Jeetan Patel alongside Daniel Vettori. Although sub-continent tours will continue to be the only time Patel will play alongside rather instead of his fellow spinner, the 29-year-old off-break bowler is presented with the perfect opportunity to step away from the second-fiddle role and be counted as a match-winner in his own right.

All considered, both teams will have a relatively unpredictable pitch to contend with. The track has been under heavy covers for a substantial amount of time amidst heavy rains over the weekend and come Tuesday, it could swing either way...

Key Players

Sri Lanka: Not that it's likely, but Nuwan Kulasekara will need to be on song should the spinners endure a momentary lapse in turn. With the Test retirement of Chaminda Vaas and absence Lasith Malinga, Kulasekara has risen to the fore with his late swing and consistent line and this time around shouldn't prove any different. Other than that, the characteristic Galle run-gluttony from Jayawardene will suit his team down to the ground.

New Zealand: A semblance of experience amongst a rather green top-to-middle order, Ross Taylor needs his best series yet if New Zealand hope to overcome the near inevitable. Taylor has grown in leaps and bounds over the last year and is a mere career-defining knock or two - in testing conditions - away from graduation.

Prediction

It's nigh impossible seeing anything but a big victory for Sri Lanka. While the hosts boast a string of stars capable of stepping up if a team-mate fails, New Zealand need at least two more Vettoris to even stand a chance.

Last Five Head-to-Head Results

2006: Second Test: Sri Lanka won by 217 runs in Wellington
2006: First Test: New Zealand won by five wickets in Christchurch
2005: Second Test: New Zealand won by an innings and 58 runs in Wellington
2005: First Test: Match drawn in Napier
2003: Second Test: Match drawn in Kandy

Likely Teams

Sri Lanka: Tharanga Paranavitana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Rangana Herath, Muttiah Muralitharan.

New Zealand: Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori, Jeetan Patel, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin.

Dates: 18-22 August 04:30-06:30, 07:10-09:10, 09:30-11:30 (all times GMT)

Match Referee: Andy Pycroft

Umpires: Daryl Harper and Nigel Long

Jonhenry Wilson