Sri Lanka ready to face South African challenge
The first Test of the two match series between Sri Lanka and South Africa will commence today at Kingsmead, Durban starting at 1pm (Sri Lanka time).
Sri Lanka has never lost a Test at Durban in three outings. In fact, they have won their two most recent games at Kingsmead and expected to make a big challenge against the home team.
Two teams met each other in 13 Test series while South Africa won 8 and Sri Lanka won 4 and one series ended in a no decision. Last time Sri Lanka met South Africa in 2021 at Johannesburg and South Africa won by 10 wickets but Sri Lanka won their last Test in 2019 in Gqeberha which is the venue this time where the two teams will meet in their second Test. Going back to the two teams Test history Santh Jayasuriya has played the highest number of Test matches against South Africa and today he is Sri Lanka head coach.
Sri Lanka’s team led by Dhananjaya de Silva is third on the World Test Championship table, with a win percentage of 55.56, and South Africa are right on their heels, on 54.17 in fifth place. Both are in striking distance of a top-two finish, for which presently, there are five serious contenders – India, Australia, and New Zealand being the other three. With India’s recent huge victory against Australia India moved to first slot of the points table while Australia and Sri Lanka in second and third places. This Test series between South Africa and Sri Lanka is very important for Test championships final.
The first batch of 10 players from Sri Lanka’s 17 member squad arrived in Durban 10 days ahead of the rest of the squad. They were sent there to acclimatize and to train and practice ahead of the Test series.
Sri Lankan team Manager Mahinda Halangoda said batting consultant Neil McKenzie has given players quite a lot of information about the grounds and wind direction and from where the fast bowlers should be bowling, how the ball will behave in this track and this is very important for the Sri Lanka players.
Sri Lanka are going into the Test series without any warm up matches to adjust to the conditions but the tips from the consultant coach McKenzie is more important for the players while head coach Sanath Jayasuriya and his supporting staff always motivate the team with good guidance.
Sri Lanka is the only Asian team to ever have beaten South Africa at home in a series, back in 2019.
Seven players from this current Sri Lanka squad had played roles in that 2-0 sweep. Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva Lasith Embuldeniya (came to the squad after two years) Kasun Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando were the seven members of the side that turned out in 2019 while Anjelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal also toured in 2011 and all these players have good experience on these tracks.
South Africa pitches favour paceman and Sri Lanka have several options to use bowlers for the final eleven.
So far this year, Sri Lanka have won six Tests, the most impressive of which was their victory at the oval against England the third Test. And they have what is increasingly beginning to seem like a seam-bowling outfit.
Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, and Lahiru Kumara are the likely starters. But they have others like Kasun Rajitha and Milan Rathnayake who have impressed in overseas conditions too.However Sri Lanka have not finalised their final eleven yesterday .
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has said that they will not be requesting for green tops on this tour, which will please Sri Lanka’s batters especially. That doesn’t mean there will be no bounce or movement. Shukri Conrad, South Africa’s head coach, said he expected “some good pace” at Kingsmead. But expect the surface to take turn on the later days, especially. South Africa have some skillful seamers, but their spin attack will be tested here too.
South Africa (probable XI) Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (capt.), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Gerald Coetzee/Senuran Muthusamy Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada
Sri Lanka (probable xi)Dimuth Karuanaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wk), Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara/Vishwa Fernando.