New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka, 5th ODI: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

After rain washed out the fourth one-day international, Sri Lanka can no longer win this five-game series against New Zealand. With the score standing at 2-1, though, an overall tie is still within their grasp.

However, a draw would feel like a loss for the hosts, who battered their visitors so comprehensively in the opening two encounters, and they'll be eager to finish the job at Mount Maunganui, Tauranga.

Let’s take a look at how the sides are shaping up ahead of this intriguing encounter.

Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Time: 11 a.m. local (10 p.m. GMT, January 4)

Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), Sky Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), NowTV (UK, subscription required), Willow TV (U.S., subscription required)

Weather: Apart from some occasional cloud, according to the Accuweather.com, an uninterrupted day's play is in store.

Overview

Two sides in opposing current states; New Zealand are eager to capitalise on possessing their strongest team in decades, while Sri Lanka are seeking to forge a new identity since the retirement of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

With Pakistan and, more pertinently, Australia due to arrive in the country shortly, the Black Caps could be forgiven for having their eyes on the bigger scalps ahead.

But after winning the opening two games emphatically, the loss and rain-affected no result from the two games at Nelson, mean a drawn series—thus wasting a lot of their hard work—is still a possibility.

They will rightly start as favourites, though, in what is just the fifth international fixture to be contested at the picturesque Bay Oval cricket ground in Mount Maunganui.

Despite the continued absence of Brendon McCullum (per Ian Anderson of Stuff) and, more worryingly, Tim Southee, the World Cup runners-up boast plenty of players in form with both bat and ball.

Martin Guptill (see below) and Kane Williamson, who will continue to lead the side, have been scoring run for fun of late.

While Trent Boult should return to bolster a potent pace attack alongside the Matt Henry and Mitchell McClenaghan who have taken 14 wickets between them so far in the series.

Since the fourth ODI a few days ago, no new selection issues have cropped up for Sri Lanka meaning they will most likely go with the same side that took the field for the nine overs which that game lasted.

This means raw but developing youngsters such as Dushmantha Chameera, Danushka Gunathilaka and Jeffrey Vandersay can continue to flesh out their games.

Chameera has looked like a major star in the making with his ability to bowl with extreme pace and unsettling hostility, as evidenced by his match figures of nine for 115 in the Hamilton Test.

Although when his radar is off, the 23-year-old is liable to spray the ball all over the place, which is obviously far from ideal in limited-overs cricket.

Still, the youngsters can't do it all, and sooner or later, Sri Lanka's veteran core have to come to the party.

If the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews (see below) and Nuwan Kulasekara can finally start to help their inexperienced colleagues, this could be a tight one.

ODI form (latest left to right)

New Zealand: NLWWLWL

Sri Lanka: NWLLWWW

Squads

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhanushka Gunatillake, Sachithra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera, Chamara Kapugedera, Jeffrey Vandersay, hisara Perera.

Key Players

New Zealand

The current front-runner for man of the series is clearly Martin Guptill, who has scored 122 more runs more than any other batsman. What's more, the powerful opener has scored his runs at a ferocious strike rate of 178.90 bludgeoning 23 fours and 16 sixes in the process. If Guptill gets the Black Caps off to a flyer, then the series could be wrapped up quickly.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka could be forgiven for pinning up notices to nearby trees asking members of the public to call if they see their skipper Angelo Mathews. The normally reliable all-rounder has been almost invisible scoring just 17 runs in two innings and conceding 34 runs from three wicketless overs. If Mathews can refind his form, the tourists might look like a different side.

Who will win?

A tough one to call but, given their familiarity with the conditions and amount of players in form, it is hard to back against New Zealand.

If Sri Lanka's veterans finally step up to the plate, it could be close, but expect the Black Caps to finally wrap up the series.