The Proteas may go into the second and final Test against Sri Lanka without two key players, but they will still go into the game with their tails up after delivering a proper hiding to the tourists in Durban.
South Africa v Sri Lanka – Second Test
5 – 9 December 2024
St George’s Park – Gqeberha
Temba Bavuma’s side will be without paceman Gerald Coetzee and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, but their stars from the first Test will be very much present.
South Africa are now up to second in the World Test Championship and a win in the second Test could push them ahead of India and into first place. The Durban loss meanwhile has all but put an end to Sri Lanka’s hopes of qualifying for a Lords Test. It won’t be at the front of the Protea’s minds, but it gives them a little bit more to play for.
To Win Match
South Africa 7/20 | Draw 12/1 | Sri Lanka 3/1
The first Test saw the South African bowlers in completely dominant form, with Marco Jansen particularly striking fear into the hearts of the Sri Lankans. World Number one bowler Kagiso Rabada experienced a surprisingly quiet game in Durban taking three for 75 across the two innings. Expect him to be hungry for a bigger haul at St George’s.
Psychology plays such a big role in cricket, and it will be fascinating to see if the Sri Lankan batsmen can fare any better this time round against Jansen. A second innings knock of 282 in Durban isn’t necessarily much to write home about, but it’s still a whole lot better than the 42 they mustered first time around. Jansen will be licking his lips at the prospect of more scalps in Gqeberha.
As pleasing as the South African performance was with the ball, there was also lots to be happy about with the bat – particularly from skipper Bavuma who returned from injury to play dominant knocks in both innings. Bavuma has often been criticized for failing to convert good starts in centuries, but he reached the three-figure mark in Durban and made 70 in the first innings. He used his feet well and looked both fluent and comfortable – he’ll be eyeing more big runs in the second Test.
The form of Aidan Markram at the top of the order continues to be a worry for South Africa. He failed to get going in the first innings in what were admittedly tricky conditions. The second innings saw him make 47. He got out just when he was looking set for a big score but it is hard to get away from the feeling that he is trying to hit his way out of trouble.
With their chances in the World Test Championship all but gone, Sri Lanka can go one of two ways – they can play with freedom, or they can fold again and head for home. It really could go either way.
It’s hard to see how the Gqeberha Test could go any worse for Sri Lanka than the Durban one. The Asian outfit didn’t help themselves with some injudicious shot selection and some sloppy fielding, but similarly the Proteas seemed to get everything right. Tony de Zorzi’s catch to dismiss Prabath Jayasuriya was one of the most outstanding pieces of fielding in a long time, how the catch stuck remains a miracle – they will be lucky if they can repeat the performance.
As bad as Sri Lanka’s batsmen were in the first innings, it is also worth pointing out that while their bowlers toiled manfully, they were also fairly toothless. They got the ball into the right areas on day one when the wicket was very bowler-friendly, but after that, it was quite the struggle. They will need to show a lot more penetration at St George’s.
At almost 38 years old Angelo Matthews’ days as a Test cricketer are surely coming to end. After a low-profile first Test (he bowled just two overs and scored 26 runs over two innings) now is the time for him to step up.
Promoted up the order to bat at three for the series, Dinesh Chandimal was a beacon of hope for Sri Lanka in Durban. He folded for a duck in the first innings but scored a gritty 83 in the second knock showing both solid technique and mental fortitude. He will be keen to keep building on his success in this new position up the order.
Sri Lanka will have fond memories of St George’s Park (although heading to Durban they had good memories of Hollywoodbets Kingsmead as well). Last time out at the venue they ran out comfortable eight-wicket winners over South Africa.
What they said:
Proteas coach Shukri Conrad on the atmosphere he is trying to build in the South African team: “I think we just get on with things. That’s what we’ve tried to establish. What we continually encourage is for the guys to be themselves, both on and off the field, because we’ve got a host of characters. I think winning obviously helps as well, and let’s not undervalue that, but they’re just a great bunch of guys who get on with it. They train hard, they enjoy each other’s company away from the cricket field, and nothing is artificial.”
Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal on the challenge of batting at three: “Batting at number three, you have to leave a lot of balls, and your forward defence has to be solid. Those are the things to tighten, and those are the biggest challenges for me.”
Verdict: South Africa 7/20
Home ground advantage, momentum, psychological edge, better bowling attack, form batsmen… do we have to say more. This is the Proteas for the taking.
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