Sri Lanka vs South Africa: 2nd ODI - 5 talking points

3. Chandimal’s captaincy

Dinesh Chandimal

Angelo Mathews was suspended for the first two ODIs and that prompted the promotion of Dinesh Chandimal to the top job for the first two ODIs. The 23-year-old could hardly have hoped for a better return than 2 wins in 2 matches.

Not only did he provide an alternative to the selectors in doing so, he has also justified the decision of not stepping back to seek support in the experience of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. The responsibility also brought out a better batting performance as he played a critical knock of 43 runs, coming out of a personal lack of form and providing that much needed boost to the flagging innings.

Moreover, he did well to hand over the ball to Dilshan after assessing the conditions during the second innings, and he was rewarded with the prized scalp of the South African captain.