Sri Lanka's improving pace attack has been pinpointed by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori as a key threat to his inexperienced line-up in the build up to the first Test of their two-match series starting on August 18.
Sri Lanka's spinners have traditionally provided the biggest challenge for visiting teams but new opening pair, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, shared 29 wickets between them in their recent 2-0 series win over Pakistan.
"Spin is going to play an important part but I think from watching the Pakistan series, the seam bowlers have played an important role," Vettori told the media in the first news conference of a six-week trip Friday.
"Our ability to counter the Sri Lankan spin bowlers is going to be a huge part of the game but it will be ignorant for us not to acknowledge how well the Sri Lankan team has bowled."
New Zealand have also identified spinner Ajantha Mendis as a major threat to their batting.
"This is quite an inexperienced team and to some of the guys, this is the first time they will be seeing Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and Mendis," he said.
"We've only come across him (Mendis) in the Twenty20 World Cup.
"Brendon McCullum played with him at Kolkata during the IPL so I suppose he brings in a little bit of knowledge in that department but it will be a learning curve for a number of our players as it will be against Murali as well."
Vettori is backing his bowlers to help New Zealand compete with a confident Sri Lanka outfit.
"We do have a very experienced top order but you have to say our strength is in our bowling," Vettori added.
The Black Caps start their tour with a three-day practice match as a Sri Lanka Development squad Friday.
