South Africa vs Sri Lanka 2019: Test Series review

Anyone who doubted cricket’s claim to being the ‘game of glorious uncertainties’ would have to change his mind after the result of the two-match Test series between hosts South Africa and visitors Sri Lanka.

The Lankans seemed hopeless coming into the series. Their two leading batsmen – Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews were missing, due to different reasons. Even the bowling department was depleted due to injuries.

The team had suffered an embarrassing whitewash at home to England last year before being beaten in New Zealand and Australia. The sacking of their captain underlined the crisis facing the team.

South Africa, on the other hand, had just whitewashed Pakistan and hadn’t lost a home series since early 2016. In fact, the Proteas had never lost a home series against an Asian side. They possess, arguably, the best pace bowling attack in the world and a very potent batting line-up.

Everything pointed to a one-sided series where the Sri Lankans would struggle to even draw a match. But look at what happened! If the shock victory to the visitors in the first game wasn’t enough, their stroll to a win in the second Test left everyone gobsmacked.

This was certainly one of the biggest upsets in the entire history of Test cricket. It would be hard to find another example of such an unexpected result.

Let’s recap some of the key points that emerge from this historic triumph of Sri Lanka. Also, what are the ramifications for both teams going ahead? Let’s examine this as well.

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#1 Perera immortalises himself

Kusal Perera's innings in the first Test was one of the finest ever

For a very long time, Kusal Janith Perera was a talented but irritating batsman for the Sri Lankans. His stroke-play was exquisite and had a stark resemblance to that of his hero, Sanath Jayasuriya. But he always seemed unable to control his aggression and was guilty of throwing away his wicket too often.

Same was the case in the first innings of the first Test. After getting to his half-century, he went for a big shot and gave an easy catch to the opposition. But in the second innings, Perera produced a knock that has ensured his place in the annals of Sri Lankan cricket.

Even if he fails to produce even one more knock of substance, his unbeaten 153 that led to arguably the greatest Sri Lankan victory in their history would be remembered as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Test knocks by a batsman from the emerald island.

In fact, it was one of the best innings by a batsman from any country and produced a successful fourth-innings chase that would be counted among the greatest. Perera, however, wouldn’t like this to be a one-off.

The left-hander would be keen to make this innings the turning point in his career and use it to achieve that consistency of run-scoring that has eluded him so far. A mature Perera is just what Sri Lanka need as they look to re-establish themselves as a top side.

#2 The rise of Vishwa Fernando

Vishwa Fernando could emerge as Sri Lanka's leading pacer

Ever since the retirement of Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lanka has been looking for a dependable seam bowler to lead their attack. At different times, some pacers have produced great performances. For instance, Chanaka Welegedera at Durban in 2011 or Dhammika Prasad at Headingley in 2014.

However, these have been one-off efforts. The most consistent performer has been Suranga Lakmal. But he needs some help from the conditions to make an impact.

This is where the performance of Vishwa Fernando, the leading wicket-taker in the series, comes as a great boost to the Sri Lankan Test side. His ability to swing the ball coupled with decent pace was exciting to watch. Having been ignored for a long time by the selectors and getting into the team only because of injury, Fernando grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

His dismissals of Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla off successive balls in the last Test was splendid to watch and would gladden the heart of Sri Lankan fans. He could well be the successor to Vaas that the Lankans have been looking for.

Let’s also not forget the contributions of Kasun Rajitha. He too was outstanding and by getting the ball to move away from the right-handers, caused serious difficulties to South African batsmen. While it’s too early to assess his potential, his efforts in this series were highly laudable.

When Lahiru Kumara comes back, Sri Lanka may finally be able to field a potent pace attack, at least, in seamer-friendly conditions. This could transform the fortunes of their side.

#3 The fragility of South Africa’s batting

Pressure is mounting on Hashim Amla after another lean series

The loss to Sri Lanka is among the most disappointing that South Africa has suffered in recent times. In fact, it is hard to find another series defeat which would be as galling to the Proteas as this one.

With their bowling resources and batting strength, they should be beating the best in the world, certainly at home. Last year, they recorded memorable victories against the no. 1 ranked team India and then, Australia.

This loss is bound to result in a lot of soul-searching. It is hard to find fault with bowling. Men like Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn are two of the best and even Keshav Maharaj bowled well in this series. So, the failure of the batsmen is what needs to be addressed.

It is noteworthy that even in their 3-0 triumph over Pakistan, the batters didn’t perform up to expectations. The man under the spotlight at the moment is Hashim Amla. Another lean series would give rise to even more questions about his future.

Other batsmen too didn’t live up to the expectations. If it wasn’t for the heroics of Quinton de Kock in both Tests, South Africa would have lost even more easily. Since none of the batsmen in the line-up is lacking in ability, their motivation and mindset are what need to be addressed.

Was it the case that they were complacent and didn’t focus as much as they should have? Did they take the opposition too lightly? Are they not putting enough value on their wickets? All these need to be asked.

At this moment, it’s hard to find a scapegoat. But with this performance, the likes of Zubayr Hamza and Theunis de Bruyn would become more likely to be tried out again. But the senior batsmen will have to answer some hard questions about their performance this season.

#4 Dale Steyn is still not at his best

Dale Steyn's performance was below par in the series

In the first Test, Dale Steyn came tantalizingly close to getting his first five-for since his return. But a dropped catch prevented him from achieving this milestone. However, Steyn bowled a marathon spell of 10 overs in search of his fifth wicket which underlined his physical fitness.

While there are no doubts left on that front, Steyn’s form is still not what one expects. He is, arguably, the best bowler of this current generation. In the past, he has performed splendidly in all conditions and in all situations.

His inability to pick the last wicket in the final innings of the first Test, despite having the new ball, coupled with no scalps in the second Test suggest that he is far from his peak. This is not the Steyn of old who could make the ball curve in the most audacious way and turn matches around on the most placid pitches.

Steyn’s form is a big concern for South Africa. Both for the upcoming World Cup and their future Test engagements, South Africa need Steyn to be roaring. At the moment, he is not doing that. The speeds are good and the consistency is not lacking. The economy rates testify to that.

But he is not getting the ball to perform those tricks which he did in the past. This would worry him. History shows that Steyn comes back strongly when his back is against the wall. Who knows, this loss could spur him on to greater things.

#5 Kusal Mendis shows his class again

Kusal Mendis is emerging as Sri Lanka's leading Test batsman

With both Chandimal and Mathews out of the team, the onus was on Kusal Mendis to lead the way for his team. His superb innings in the fourth innings of the final Test showed that he is perfectly capable of leading the way.

The way he batted on the third morning was splendid to watch. By playing in a positive way and putting away every loose ball that was bowled, Mendis ensured that his team was on their way to victory and South Africa left dispirited after just a few overs.

His stroke-play against the likes of Steyn and Rabada was of the highest quality. By tempering his aggression and not playing silly shots, he also ensured that no wickets were lost.

Since returning to the Sri Lankan Test team last year, Mendis has gone from strength to strength. The last knock was another proof of his class and firmly establishes him as the pivot around which Sri Lanka’s batting would revolve in future. The future looks bright for both Mendis and his team.