Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella (L) celebrates after dismissing South Africa's captain Faf du Plessis (R) during the third day of the opening Test match between Sri Lanka and South Africa at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on July 14, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI
The Proteas have five days to contemplate and rectify one of their poorest batting performances of recent memory after a damaging 278-run loss to Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle on Saturday.
More importantly, they have to somehow find a way to salvage a short series that can now only be drawn.
The second and final Test starts in Colombo on Friday.
South Africa’s batsman once again had no answer to the wiles of Dilruwan Perera and Rangana Herath, who shared nine wickets between them as the visitors slumped to an embarrassing 73 all out.
It’s the Proteas’ lowest Test total since re-admission in 1992, eclipsing the 79 made against India in Nagpur in 2015.
Shooting themselves in the foot
It’s sometimes a bit more understandable if a batting side collapses against high-quality spin, like Perera (6/32) and Herath (3/38) produced.
But it’s pretty unforgivable if your openers, who are expected to try and occupy the crease for longer than the rest, are dismissed through rash shots.
Dean Elgar in particular was guilty of this sin, clearly trying to force the pace when he had all the time in the world to try and settle.
Instead, he danced down the track and had to reach for a wider delivery outside off that he tried to loft.
It was an easy stumping.
His partner, Aiden Markram, befell the same fate as he jumped outside his crease but never came near the pitch of a Herath delivery and made a wild swing in desperation.
Quinton de Kock could be blamed to an extent as well for a poorly executed sweep but he’s trying to compensate for technique issues at the moment.
Philander shows the way
He didn’t bowl a lot on a difficult surface for seamers but Vernon Philander showed the value of playing outside your comfort zone to negate the strengths of the attack.
The stocky all-rounder purposely seemed to bat on off-stump, making the possibility of being hit outside on the pad bigger and also trying to get more quickly to the pitch of certain deliveries.
He top-scored with a gritty, unbeaten 22.
The Proteas would do well to take heed of such a tactic as Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and Temba Bavuma were all dismissed in part because they didn’t control the pitch of the deliveries that removed them.
KG is a man for all conditions
Even though left-arm tweaker Keshav Maharaj bowled himself into form with a fine spell of 4/58, it was the indomitable Kagiso Rabada that illustrated his class again.
The Galle pitch didn’t provide much assistance for the seamers but world cricket’s No 1 ranked Test bowler didn’t let that get him down.
The 23-year-old was hostile and clever, varying his line and length to claim 3/44.
It’s this ability to perform in all conditions that is rapidly developing him into a potential great of the game.
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