Chasing his second Test century, allrounder Rachin Ravindra carries New Zealand's hopes of victory into the final day of the first test against Sri Lanka at Galle.
Ravinda, 24, is poised unbeaten on 91 overnight, with his team teetering at 207/8, needing 68 runs to win with only two wickets in hand. Spin specialist Ajaz Patel is scoreless at the other end, after fending off 15 balls before stumps on the fourth day.
The Black Caps will need him to do more of that, when play resumes this afternoon (NZ time). Patel's highest test score is 35 against Pakistan at Karachi in January 2023.
The tourists set themselves a target of 275 runs for victory, when they dismissed the home side for 309 in their second innings. Patel captured five of the six wickets to fall on the fourth day, finishing with figures of 6/90 for his fifth Test five-wicket bag.
New Zealand were off to a shaky start, when out-of-form opener Devon Conway was bowled in the second over of their chase,and they struggled to put together a big partnership that would form the foundation of their innings.
Ravindra and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell stuck together longest with their 56-run stand for the fifth wicket, before Blundell was bowled playing an audacious reverse sweep to spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.
The Black Caps lost four wickets for 51 runs, as the lower order largely failed to support Ravindra, who reached his fifty off 94 balls. He now has just Patel and tailender Will O'Rourke to assist his efforts.
Sri Lanka 305 & 309 New Zealand 340 & 207/8 (Ravindra 91no, Williamson 30, Blundell 30; Jayasuriya 3/66)
Sri Lanka lead by 67 runs
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