NEW DELHI: South Africa’s first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead, Durban, turned into a spectacle of extraordinary bowling, with Marco Jansen stealing the spotlight on Thursday.
Fresh from securing a mega Rs 7 crore deal with the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 auction held in Jeddah, the towering left-arm pacer delivered a career-defining performance, taking an astounding 7/13.
This achievement marked the second-best figures by a left-arm fast bowler in Test cricket, firmly etching his name in the record books.
Before this, Mitchell Johnson notched up eight wickets for 61 runs during South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2008.
Best bowling figures in an innings by a left-arm pacer
- Mitchell Johnson (Australia): 8/61
- Marco Jansen (South Africa): 7/13
- Mike Whitney (Australia): 7/27
- Neil Wagner (New Zealand): 7/39
- RG Barlow (England): 7/40
After bundling South Africa out for 191 runs, Sri Lanka themselves faced a dismal batting collapse during their first innings, managing to score just 42 runs in 13.5 overs, the lowest Test total in their history.
Lowest totals for Sri Lanka in Tests
- 42 vs SA, Durban, 2024
- 71 vs PAK, Kandy, 1994
- 73 vs PAK, Kandy, 2006
- 81 vs ENG, Colombo, 2001
- 82 vs IND, Chandigarh, 1990
- 82 vs ENG, Cardiff, 2011
This also stands as the lowest total against South Africa in Test cricket.
Lowest totals against South Africa
- 42 by SL, Durban, 2024*
- 45 by NZ, Cape Town, 2013
- 47 by AUS, Cape Town, 2011
- 49 by PAK, Jo’burg, 2013
The innings, lasting a mere 83 deliveries, became the second-shortest in terms of balls faced, after South Africa’s infamous 75-ball innings against England in 1924.
Jansen was the architect of this debacle, tearing through Sri Lanka’s batting lineup with unplayable deliveries.
None of Sri Lanka’s batters managed to reach double digits, with Lahiru Kumara’s 10 not out being the second-highest contribution after Kamindu Mendis’s 13. Kagiso Rabada (1/10) and Gerald Coetzee (2/18) provided excellent support to Jansen.
South Africa’s first innings wasn’t without its challenges, as they managed a modest 191 runs.
Skipper Temba Bavuma’s fighting 70 and Keshav Maharaj’s quickfire 24 stood out. Lahiru Kumara (3/70) and Asitha Fernando (3/44) led Sri Lanka’s bowling effort.
The match has already set the tone for a thrilling series, with Jansen’s stellar display and Sri Lanka’s historic low taking centre stage.
