Sri Lanka vs. South Africa: Five players to watch out for

Sri Lankan cricketers celebrate the dismissal of AB de Villiers during the second ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 23, 2013. (Getty Images)

South Africa are 2-0 down in the series against Sri Lanka as they head to Pallekele for the second leg of the series.

They suffered from a harsh blow in the last match as Hashim Amla suffered a groin injury while fielding at the fine-leg boundary in the 43rd over of the first innings. That threatens to rule out the batsmen for the third game too and that is no good news for a side that is struggling to cope in alien conditions.

Captain AB De Villiers talked about the need to give greater responsibility to the batting unit ahead of the series but clearly things have not gone according to plan in that area. The top-order failed to produce a half-century in the two matches that have been played.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will receive another boost ahead of the third­ ODI as captain Angelo Mathews returns from suspension as the squad nears full strength. Dinesh Chandimal played the role of the stand-in captain to perfection and also regaining form with the bat in the process.

Rangana Herath’s encouraging return in the last two matches might prompt the addition of another front-line spinner in the side even as Dilshan performed the required role in the last game. They have a spotless record against South Africa in the last two decades and they would be eager to keep that up.

Here is a list of five players who can make an impact in the next contest:

Tillakaratne Dilshan (R) celebrates the wicket of South African captain AB de Villiers during the second ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 23, 2013. (Getty Images)

5. Tilakratne Dilshan

Dilshan was in top-form when he suffered an unfortunate injury while batting against India in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy. He underwent rehabilitation while the Lankan lions toured the West Indies and truly returned to the game with a fine performance in the second ODI.

He scored 43 runs at the top of the order against a top quality pace attack even when wickets tumbled at the other end. He returned to complete the job with some part-time spin and picked up the key scalp of opposition skipper De Villiers. Dilshan can be a reliable option with the ball in supportive conditions especially against the Proteas.

Morne Morkel makes an unsuccessful appeal for a LBW during the second ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 23, 2013. (Getty Images)

4. Morne Morkel

He was the silver lining on a grey cloud for South Africa in the last encounter finishing with impressive figures of 3/34 in his 10 overs. He is leading the bowling attack in the absence of Dale Steyn and hence his responsibility in the team is greater. While the batting department remains short of runs, it will be critical that he delivers early wickets in the rest of this series in order to restrict the sub-continent giants to the lowest possible total.

These are not ideal conditions for him as the surfaces do not offer sharp bounce, or pace and Morkel does not rely a lot upon the use of the slower ball that is so frequently called upon by sub-continent bowlers. He has the opportunity to add that to his repertoire and grow as a bowler in this challenging series.

Rangana Herath celebrates the wicket of South African Alviro Petersen during the second ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 23, 2013. (Getty Images)

3. Rangana Herath

The left-arm orthodox spinner was the chief architect of demolition in the first ODI and he did no wrong in the next encounter finishing with figures of 16/2 in his four overs. South Africa also boast of three left-arm orthodox spinners but the distance in terms of quality is massive.

Herath was much more courageous as he flighted the ball generously tempting the batsmen into a drive. That confidence comes from the fact that he has tasted a lot of success in the recent past. He was one of the top-bowlers in the unfamiliar conditions of England at the Champions trophy and he bamboozled Indian batsmen frequently on the tour to West Indies.

His performance levels go a notch higher when he is bowling in his own territory and hence South Africa will face a major threat from his end in the rest of the series.

AB de Villiers leaves the pitch after rain stopped play during second ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 23, 2013. (Getty Images)

2. AB De Villiers

The South African captain has failed to set the benchmark for his team in this series so far and in the absence of stalwarts like Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. The absence of Amla in the last two matches has increased the burden on him but eventually he needs to take greater responsibility.

He should also elevate himself to number three given that JP Duminy has failed to deliver at that critical position. He has the ability to hold ground against Lasith Malinga and he can be settled on the crease by the time the spinners enter the game.

His aptitude for counter-attack can be one possible way South Africa can derail Herath. A captain’s innings will be required in the next match as another loss would mean a morale dampening series defeat.

Kumar Sangakkara raises his bat after he scored 150 runs during the first ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 20, 2013. (Getty Images)

1. Kumar Sangakkara

The senior statesman of this Sri Lankan side played a thrilling knock in the first game of the series to hand out a lesson to the Proteas. He is one of the highest run-scorers in limited overs cricket in this calendar year and that’s all the more reason why South Africa should have a plan against him. He has every shot in the book and that makes him a very difficult player to work out.

However, he scored a large part of his runs in that dominating innings of 169 on the leg-side, which is an indication that the bowlers strayed on the pads too often and bowled too straight to him. They will have to force him to play on the off-side. Moreover, the slow nature of the wickets in Sri Lanka implies that the batsman are comfortable against bowlers who give that extra bit of pace and hence frequent use of variations and slower balls might not be a bad idea.