After the Kiwis posted 441 in their first innings at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, a four-pronged pace attack led by Trent Boult dismissed Sri Lanka inside 43 overs, with Boult claiming three early wickets to leave the Lankans on 15-3.
"That first innings was something special. It just seemed to happen against a quality side so it was brilliant," said Boult, who finished with figures of 3-25.
Sri Lanka made a much more solid start to their second innings, finishing 84-0 at stumps. However, with three days remaining, they are still 219 runs behind and Boult believed the signs were good for New Zealand.
"It's a great opportunity to win a Test match in New Zealand," he added.
The 25-year-old, who claimed his 100th Test victim, further described the pitch as ‘inconsistent’ with the amount of assistance it gave but is confident of success.
New Zealand had resumed the second day at 429-7 and lost their last three wickets for a cheap 12 runs.
The quick end meant the bowlers had found how to exploit the green-tinged surface and 13 wickets fell in two sessions after the batsmen, led by New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum's 195, dominated the first day.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ