Sri Lanka drew the first Test against New Zealand

Mendis, angry at his team's lack of effort in the field, said there was a lot to learn from New Zealand before the second and final Test starts in Kandy on Saturday.

"I wish my team was as fit as Stephen Fleming," said Mendis, after the Kiwi captain notched up an impressive 274 and 69.

"The only reason I can think for dropping so many catches was the poor fitness level of the team.

"It is something we have got to improve and we have to do it fast before Saturday."

However, Sri Lanka's selectors have retained an unchanged team for the match.

Pace bowler Dilhara Fernando failed to recover from a back injury to make the squad but is expected to be fit for the triangular one-day series that follows.

Fleming warned New Zealand they still have work to do to secure their first series win in Sri Lanka for 19 years.

First Test: Final day report

The left-hander's 343-run aggrgate was a New Zealand record and the 12th highest individual total ever from a single Test.

But the Kiwis will have to go one better in Kandy to repeat the achievements of their first Test tour of the island, in 1983/84.

"I am very happy with the runs I got in this match. It's nice to have two good innings of substance in a game," said Fleming.

"But a lot of hard work still remains to be done.

"The boys have got used to tackling the Sri Lankan spinners and that is a very positive sign. It is going to be a very tough match in Kandy."

The century I got is very pleasing but the others contributed as well. Hashan Tillakaratne

The tourists amassed a pain-staking 515-7 declared in their first innings, taking just seven minutes short of 11 hours over the task.

Muttiah Muralitharan was held to just two wickets in the innings, although Sri Lanka's leading spinner snared three victims late on the final day.

"All players, especially in the first innings, had a taste of Muralitharan, and that's something that takes time to get used to," Fleming added.

"We're all the better for seeing him and playing him."

Fleming's performance outshone that of his counterpart Hashan Tillakaratne, who was finally dismissed on the fifth morning for 144 in Sri Lanka's reply of 483.

"It was too good a batting wicket," admitted Tillakaratne, in his first Test as skipper.

"The century I got is very pleasing but the others contributed as well.

"After they got 515, we needed to get to 316 to avoid the follow-on. I was just so impressed with the batters, and the way they came out and managed to save this Test match."