South Africa secured a victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday, winning by a substantial 233 runs. Sri Lanka fought hard but were ultimately bowled out for 282, chasing a challenging target of 516.
This win for South Africa followed Sri Lanka’s record-low first-innings score of just 42.
Marco Jansen, the left-arm fast bowler, played a crucial role in both innings, taking four wickets for 73 runs in the second innings. His match figures were an impressive 11 for 86.
Unlike their first-innings collapse, Sri Lanka’s batters showed resilience in the second innings, making the South African bowlers work hard for their wickets.
Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva built a solid partnership of 95 runs for the sixth wicket. Their efforts kept South Africa in the field for a significant portion of the morning session. Sri Lanka had resumed their innings at 101 for five.
Keshav Maharaj provided the much-needed breakthrough for South Africa. De Silva chipped a catch to midwicket off Maharaj’s left-arm spin, ending the substantial partnership.
Kusal Mendis played an aggressive knock of 48 before becoming Jansen’s tenth victim of the match, caught behind by Kyle Verreynne.
Chandimal and De Silva capitalized on improved batting conditions, facing bowlers who lacked the effectiveness they displayed with the new ball.
South Africa also faced a setback with Wiaan Mulder’s injury. The all-rounder was ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a broken finger.
Chandimal, who began the day on 29 not out, continued his strong performance at Kingsmead. This ground holds special significance for him, as it’s where he made his Test debut with two half-centuries 13 years prior. His determined innings of 83 runs off 174 balls finally ended when he was caught and bowled by Gerald Coetzee.