5 things we learned from Sri Lanka-South Africa ODI series

Dananjaya – The new trump card

Akila Dananjaya seems to be joining the club of leg-spinners making an impact in ODI cricket

The wily Akila Dananjaya continued to torment the Proteas batsmen in the ODI series also. While he would have to perform well against better Test sides in the longer format to prove his worth there, in ODI cricket, he certainly is emerging as a great threat.

Though he started out as an off-spinner, he has now become primarily a leg-break bowler with a deadly googly. At a time when leg-spinners are making a big mark in limited-overs cricket, he could emerge as the trump card for his team.

We have seen a trend in recent times of batsmen struggling against good-quality leg-spinners, especially, if they can turn it both ways. With few players good enough to counter such tricks, Dananjaya could do what Ajantha Mendis did for Sri Lanka some years ago.