South Africa Vs Sri Lanka Live Cricket Score 1st Test, Day 2: SA Bowled Out For 191 – News18

How are the neighbours doing? Let’s take a peek to check what is happening in Zimbabwe. The 3rd ODI between Zimbabwe and Pakistan is scheduled today and Pakistan have reached 229/3 in the 44th over, riding on a century by newcomer Kamran Ghulam and 50 by Abdullah Shafique. The pitch is definitely on the slower side but there are no demons in it as such. The hosts have found it difficult to pick wickets in Bulawayo and Pakistan would be aiming to get as close to 300 as possible from here on.

Thanks to this doubly extended session, the second session could start as late as 1040 GMT. South Africa would be disappointed with their batting effort but one feels that this is not that easy a batting pitch as it might seem. The good thing for the home side is, the weather has not affected the pitch. There is plenty of juice on offer and if the Saffas come out and keep Sri Lanka under 200-250, we could have a one-inning shootout. Please stay tuned.

Let’s not take anything away from Sri Lanka. Whether batting was difficult, or South Africa left a few runs out there – the Lankan bowlers deserved their wickets. The seamers were on the money, keeping the length betwee, good and short, which generated extra bounce and got the balls moving off the seam. The Proteas’ technical flaws might have been exposed but that can come only when the bowlers are consistently persistent. Asitha Fernando has been a revelation for a few months now, while he was well supported by the other Fernando, Vishwa. Lahiru Kumara then came and burst through with his pace. This trio picked up 8 wickets, with Asitha and Kumara picking up 3 apiece. The only surprise might have been that of Prabath Jayasuriya, who managed to get 2 wickets in the span of 5 balls, which really confirms the lack of application from the lower middle order.

Perfectionists will be perfectionists, aye? As per the great legend Hashim Amla on air, South Africa have left a few runs out there. He bluntly says that anything under 300 is not enough on this surface and on dissecting the African batting, he reckons that even though the bowling was good, it was not unplayable. As per him, the wickets fell due to technical deficiencies, as the batters lacked patience and did not know where their off stump were. He reckons that it was all about batters spending time in the middle and barring Bavuma and Rabada to some extent, no one showed that intent. Well, that’s the case throughout the world, isn’t it?

Champions stand up when the chips are usually down. That’s exactly how Temba Bavuma played. He was fidgety and struggling for a major part on Day 1 but this morning, he found his rhythm. He readily took the burden of batting with the tail and formed useful partnerships with Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj ​​​​and Kagiso Rabada, before falling for a valiant 70. Yes, he was given a couple of lives on Wednesday, but that is not his problem. His gritty knock has given the home side a competitive total to fight for and if the pitch stays as it is, it will be a treat to watch Rabada and Jansen bowl on this deck. After Bavuma’s 70, the next best was Maharaj’s 24 and only two others could reach double digits. That’s how difficult batting was. Or is.

Like Wednesday, Sri Lanka were right on the money on Thursday morning, blowing through the lower middle order of South Africa. Lahiru Kumara removed Kyle Verreynne early and then Prabath Jayasuriya got into his work, removing two wickets quickly. At that stage, the home side was in grave danger of getting bowled out under 150, with the score reading 117/7. But the lower order rallied around its skipper and managed to add a valuable 74 runs for the last 3 wickets.

That concludes a doubly extended session this morning. First, the session was extended by 15 minutes, which got extended by a further quarter of an hour, meaning that we roughly had a session of 150 minutes. Sri Lanka bowled 29 overs, picked up all the remaining 6 wickets while South Africa scored 111 runs. It was primarily Sri Lanka’s session for two-thirds of it. but that last half an hour would have made the Protea bowlers smile, because they now have something to bowl at.

49.4 – OUT! CAUGHT! The short ball ploy finally works and Sri Lanka wrap the Proteas inning for 191 runs! Asitha Fernando digs it into the surface, on middle and leg, Kagiso Rabada is quick to read the length and rocks back to pull but is cramped for room. He goes through the shot and gets a decent connection behind square on the leg side. Dinesh Chandimal from deep backward square leg keeps his eyes on the ball and is quick to move across the turf on his right. The ball comes to him at great pace and flatter but he does exceptionally well totake a very sharp catch to his right.

49.3 – 1 run.

49.2 – Lucky again! This is frustrating for Sri Lanka. Asitha comes charging in and bangs the ball into the deck. Rabada takes his eyes off and ducks, with his bat hanging in the air like a periscope, The ball bounces, rises, takes the top edge and flies in the air, but does not carry to deep square leg. A single taken and South Africa touch 190.

49.1 – FOUR! Lucky runs, valuable nevertheless for South Africa! A short ball, outside off, from around the wicket, Kagiso Rabada looks to pull. But the ball bounces extra, takes the top edge and flies over the keeper, to the deep third fence!

48.6 – No run.

48.5 – SIX! Oh hello, Wiaan Mulder has cleared the fence with a beautiful strike!

48.4 – Tossed up, full and on off, Wiaan Mulder drives it back to the bowler.

48.3 – A touch short, around middle, Kagiso punches it down to long on for a single.

48.2 – Very full, around off, Rabada nudges it towards short mid-wicket.

The skipper, Dhananjaya de Silva, looks for some inspiration. Brings himself on.

48.1 – Four!

47.6 – Oh dear! A mixup that luckily doesn’t cost Rabada his wicket! Asitha Fernando angles in the short one, on middle and leg, Kagiso Rabada is caught by surprise and looks to keep it out. His bottom hand comes off the bat but he manages to dab it out on the leg side. Wiaan Mulder sets off for the run but Rabada isn’t quite sure and responds to it eventually.

Batsman_1 : Kagiso Rabada 5(17)

Batsman_2 : Wiaan Mulder 2(8)

Bowler : Asitha Fernando 2/38(14)

Over : 48

Run : 3

Wicket : 0

Score : 174/9

47.5 – Fires in a yorker, right at the toes, Wiaan Mulder gets low and taps the ball on it’s heading working it in front of deep square leg for a single.

47.4 – 1 run.

47.3 – Another bouncer, around middle, Rabada evades with a duck.

47.2 – Another bouncer, let through.

47.1 – On a good length, around middle and leg, Kagiso Rabada ducks. ‘One for the over’, says the umpire.

46.6 – 1 run.

46.5 – No run.

46.4 – On a length, on off, Kagiso Rabada makes a good block.

46.4 – FIVE WIDES! Vishwa Fernando misses his mark and lands it full and way down leg. Kagiso Rabada leaves it alone and the ball goes further away from the reach of the keeper and races away to fine leg fence for a boundary.

46.3 – On a good length, outside off, Kagiso pushes inside the line but misses.

We all have been proved wrong. Lunch has been extended by 15 minutes. So a 135-minute session could actually go to 150! Wiaan Mulder walks out to bat to resume his innings from 1, replacing his skipper, Temba Bavuma.

45.6 – OUT! CAUGHT! The return of Asitha Fernando brings Sri Lanka a big wicket! Temba Bavuma departs after a well-compiled 70 off 117 balls. He looked solid at the crease, but he’ll surely be disappointed with his shot selection there.

Batsman_1 : Temba Bavuma 70(117)

Batsman_2 : Kagiso Rabada 2(6)

Bowler : Asitha Fernando 2/35(13)

Over : 46

Run : 2

Wicket : 1

Score : 165/9

46.1 – A short ball, around middle, Kagiso Rabada looks to pull but the ball gets big on him.

46.2 – No run.

45.5 – Unusual from Bavuma but that one goes past the outside edge!

45.3 – Lucky again. On a good length, outside off, a touch wide, the skipper reaches out to push the ball away. Gets a bit of an outside edge from the horizontal blade and it flies in the air. But there is no gully with the field being spread. Gets a couple by the time deep backward point mops it up to his left. Bavuma reaches 70 now.

45.2 – Fuller, around middle, Bavuma flicks it to deep mid-wicket. Does not take the single.

45.4 – On a fuller length, outside off, shaping away further, Temba Bavuma is happy to make a leave.

45.1 – Asitha Fernando is back on. 12-3-33.1. Straight into the attack and bang on target again. Outstanding again. No looseners.

44.6 – Length, just outside off, Kagiso Rabada steers it to gully with an extended arm.

Batsman_1 : Kagiso Rabada 2(6)

Batsman_2 : Temba Bavuma 68(111)

Bowler : Vishwa Fernando 2/29(14)

Over : 45

Run : 3

Wicket : 0

Score : 163/8

44.5 – Thumped hard but a good effort in the field saves two runs. On a length, at the stumps, Kagiso Rabada winds up and has a big slog across. Gets it off the lower half of the bat but manages to get it well over mid on. The fielder swivels back and chases the ball before sliding ahead and pushing it back into field for two runs.