Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne ensured his team would avoid an innings defeat but the tourists were in a precarious position at the end of the second day of the second and final Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium yesterday
The tourists were 150 for four at the close in Johannesburg, a lead of five runs with six wickets remaining.
Karunaratne, one of five left-handers in the Sri Lankan top six, made 91 not out off 116 balls with 17 fours.
But there was only one partnership of note, 85 for the second wicket with Lahiru Thirimanne, who scored 31. They came together after Kusal Perera had been bowled with only one run scored.
Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi took the first three wickets to finish the day with three for 26, having Thirimanne and Kusal Mendis caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off successive deliveries. It was the third successive nought by Mendis.
Karunaratne’s innings continued a fightback which started with the team’s bowlers, who restricted South Africa’s first innings lead to 145.
Vishwa Fernando took five for 101, his first five-wicket haul in Tests, as South Africa were bowled out for 302, losing their last nine wickets for 84 runs.
South Africa’s collapse seemed unlikely when Dean Elgar (127) and Rassie van der Dussen (67) scored 68 runs off 14 overs in the first hour of the day.
Their second-wicket stand was worth 184 before the mid-morning drinks break brought a change in fortunes, with both batsmen dismissed in the first two overs after drinks.
Elgar, who made 95 in South Africa’s innings win in the first Test at Centurion, completed his 13th Test century after starting the day on 92. He hit 22 fours in a 163-ball innings.
Perera, who made 64 and 60 in his previous two innings, was bowled for one by a ball from Ngidi which swung in from around the wicket. But Karunatne and Thirimanne both batted with assurance before Ngidi struck again.
Debutant Minod Bhanuka played a rash pull against the pace of Anrich Nortje and was out for one, with Keshav Maharaj taking a superb catch at midwicket, running several metres before diving full length.
Niroshan Dickwella made 18 not out to survive with Karunaratne until the close.
South Africa’s Dean Elgar said after the day’s play that the host bowlers should take a leaf out of the Sri Lankan book as they seek to wrap up their two-match Test series. “There’s quite a lot in the surface and I don’t think we exploited it much in the second innings, South African centurian Elgar said. “If you just keep the ball on off stump there’s something there.”
By contrast, Sri Lanka produced a superbly disciplined performance as they took South Africa’s last nine wickets for 84 to restrict the hosts to a first innings lead of 145.
“Credit to the way Sri Lanka bowled,” said Elgar. “They attacked off stump and fourth stump and adjusted their lengths really well. They bowled quite a few very good balls.”
But Elgar said he was confident South Africa could complete a 2-0 series win.
“Of late, we’ve been in quite a few tough positions so we’ve got to enjoy this position we’re in now,” he said.
Fernando said he was “really happy” with his performance. “The bowling group did a really good job.”
Fernando said the bowlers had not been consistent enough as Elgar and Van der Dussen built their partnership, a second-wicket record against Sri Lanka.
“We had a bad time and bowled balls in bad areas that went for boundaries.”
Sri Lanka’s captain Dimuth Karunaratne (L) plays a shot during the second day of the second Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg yesterday.
