"Plenty of positives for us to take away": Kiwi skipper Tim Southee on defeat against Sri Lanka

Galle [Sri Lanka], September 23 (ANI): New Zealand skipper Tim Southee said on Monday that there's lot of "positives" for them to take away after their defeat against Sri Lanka in the first Test match in Galle. Sri Lanka clinched a 63-run victory over New Zealand in the 1st Test match at the Galle International Stadium on Monday. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Southee said that they are "disappointed" with the loss. The Kiwi skipper added that it was great effort from his side.

"Good test match, tough place to come. Plenty of positives for us to take away but disappointed to lose. (On Ravindra) We've been excited for a while, we've seen glimpses back in New Zealand of what he's capable of. On this wicket, it was a great effort. You look at any game and there are moments, we lost 5 wickets for not many in the first innings after being in a strong position," Southee said after the end of the match.

Earlier on Monday, it was Prabath Jayasuriya who removed Rachin Ravindra, which helped the hosts make a comeback in the game. Jayasuriya ended with an innings five-wicket haul after he went on to claim William O'Rourke for a six-ball duck to end the match. He ended the opening Test with figures of 9/204 and claimed Player of the Match honours.

The series opener started with Sri Lanka opting to bat after winning the toss. Kamindu Mendis starred for the hosts with his sensational knock of 114. His heroics with the bat propelled Sri Lanka to 305. In reply, New Zealand managed to post 340 and take a 35-run lead over the hosts. Tom Latham led the charge with the bat with his valiant 70, and Kane Williamson provided the ideal backup with his 55 off 104 deliveries.

Dimuth Karunaratne (83) and Dinesh Chandimal (61) rose to the challenge and guided Sri Lanka to an innings in which they set a 275-run winning total for New Zealand. The Kiwis tried to chase it down but were bundled out for 211 runs. The hosts won by 63 runs. (ANI)