South Africa vs Sri Lanka 2016: 1st Test, Day 1 - 5 talking points

Sri Lanka fought back hard on a flat surface at Port Elizabeth to slowly claw their way back into the game after a damp display of seam bowling in the first session. Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander remain unbeaten as Proteas sit at 267/6 at stumps on Day 1.

Earlier, Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook were largely untroubled in the first session as the duo put on a rare hundred run partnership. But the lunch break seemed to have done wonders for the lacklustre Lankan seamers as both Lakmal and Pradeep bowled with more intent post the break.

The rewards soon started coming as one after the other the Proteas batsmen perished to some wonderful bowling. Later, a fluent, brisk knock from JP Duminy drove South Africa before Herath dismissed him.

Herath proved to be a tough spinner to deal with even on the grassy surface as he continuously probed the South African batsmen. Expected to don a containing role, the spinner plucked out two vital scalps to aid Lakmal who took the remaining four to fall in the day.

Here are the talking points from the day's play.

---

#5 Cook and Elgar barely tested

Cook and Elgar put on a solid 100-run partnership

Stephen Cook and Dean Elgar had quite a few questions to answer as they went into the Boxing Day Test. The duo were put at ease by some wayward and inconsistent bowling by the Lankan seamers in the first session.

While Lakmal barely made the batsmen play, Pradeep was mostly on their pads aiding some easy runs. Matthews and Chameera were better than the opening bowlers in the first session but both rarely beat the bat.

Cook notched up a fine half-century to follow up on his hundred in the day-night Test against Australia and Elgar got some crucial runs too. The duo put on their first century partnership but were dismissed by a different looking Lakmal post the lunch break.

#4 Lakmal's super lunch

Lakmal picked up key wickets after the lunch break

Suranga Lakmal is a useful opening bowler but for a bowler who has played 31 Test matches, a bowling average of 47 something is rarely accepted. While his strike rate and average is rather poor, he has looked like the best Lanka have on hand.

Lakmal was wayward in the opening session, rarely making Elgar and Cook play and the opening duo were more than pleased to leave as many balls as possible. He was least helped by Pradeep who strayed onto the pads and gifted runs to the openers.

However, post the lunch break, Lakmal looked a different bowler and pitched the ball in the right areas while swinging it. He accounted for the top three, dismissing Elgar and Cook in quick succession before returning to dismiss Amla. He added the wicket of Faf to round off his best figures in an innings in Tests.

#3 Hashim Amla continues his streaky form

Amla was dismissed for 20

Amla has looked a completely different batsman in recent times in Tests. He has been very edgy and was easily sorted out by Hazlewood in Australia. His technique has always been different but it has worked for him in an illustrious career thus far.

However, the same technique combined with fast hands and hand-eye co-ordination, is failing him of late. The promotion to no. 3 on current form is questionable and Amla hasn't done well there since the tour to India.

He played second fiddle to a rampant Duminy and looked to have settled into his groove after appearing streaky when he chased a wide one from Lakmal to be caught by the keeper for a 76-ball 20.

#2 Duminy shows his class

Duminy scored an important half-century

JP Duminy has had an axe hanging over his head each time he has walked out to bat in Tests recently. He had threatened to fire but had rarely converted his starts to substantial scores, before being dropped for the home series against England late last year.

The comeback was spectacular with some runs in the series against Kiwis and followed by a hundred in Perth. On day 1 of this Test, he walked in amidst a fine spell from Lakmal but caressed him through covers off his first ball. The driving continued right through the innings as he raced into the 40s with a strike rate of 140.

His cover drives and straight drives would have made a sensational album for the cameramen as he was precise in foot movements and weight transfer. He threatened to race to another hundred but Herath turned the screws on him with a tight spell that eventually lead to his dismissal for 63, that included 10 fours.

#1 Lanka surprises the hosts

Sri Lanka started their South Africa tour on a good note

Sri Lanka have been rather poor in their visits to South Africa with just one victory in 10 Tests before this Test. They have lost eight Tests with four of them innings defeats and one by ten wickets further creating a huge gap between the two sides.

Their seam bowlers have also been below par in favourable conditions and they did not have arguably their best Test bowler, Dhammika Prasad, available. They started off rather poorly as most sub-continental teams do in such conditions and it looked a like a long day of Test cricket awaiting the tourists.

However, a flurry of wickets followed after lunch as a result of a change in angle of attack by the seamers. Herath too dished out his variations and Sri Lanka were right back in the game as South Africa kept losing important wickets. At stumps, there was no doubt who had the happier dressing room but Lanka will need to carry on their good work to add to their lone win in the country.