Doping, Cairns questions shroud test buildup

Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera plays a shot during the final day of their third and final test cricket match against India in Colombo, September 1, 2015. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

(Reuters) - A positive doping test and questions over a contentious criminal trial in London have threatened to overshadow the first test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which begins on Thursday.

The match in Dunedin was supposed to contain the storyline of a Sri Lanka side in transition and a New Zealand team looking to build on the momentum from their series in Australia before a return clash at home next February.