1st Test
Day-2 Morning Session Highlights:
South Africa team are bowled out for 191 runs with Temba Bavuma top-scoring on 70 runs
At The Lunch of Day-2:
South Africa scored 191 vs Sri Lanka.
After more than two sessions were washed out on the opening day, the second day saw Sri Lanka maintain their dominance over South Africa under bright sunshine.
The visitors’ pacers had already torn through the South African top order in cloudy conditions on Day 1, and their effectiveness continued even with the sun out.
The pitch still offered enough for Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando to keep them engaged in their opening spells.
Kumara, who had taken two wickets the previous day, added another early on Day 2 by trapping Kyle Verreynne plumb in front.
He also struck Wiaan Mulder on the glove shortly after, forcing him to leave the field.
Mulder is now set to undergo scans to determine the extent of the injury and his availability for the remainder of the Test.
With South Africa reduced to 85/6 in Mulder’s absence, they were desperate for a partnership, and Temba Bavuma found support in Marco Jansen.
The pair defended resolutely, but Sri Lanka responded by bringing on the spin of Prabath Jayasuriya.
The left-arm spinner kept attacking the stumps, and eventually, he breached Jansen’s defense, dismissing him lbw.
South Africa’s review was unsuccessful, and Bavuma, nearing his half-century, lost another partner.
Gerald Coetzee, unlike Jansen, lacked the defensive temperament, and his attempted big hit against Jayasuriya was misdirected to deep midwicket, where Kamindu Mendis took a brilliant diving catch.
However, Keshav Maharaj, who came in next, provided some relief for Bavuma by hitting Jayasuriya for several boundaries, including lofted shots down the ground and over cover.
Bavuma, who had been stuck on 49, finally reached his fifty, his 22nd in Tests.
But as Maharaj began to look comfortable, Sri Lanka changed tactics, bringing in pace from both ends.
The move worked when Maharaj chipped a delivery from Vishwa Fernando to mid-off, leaving South Africa in a precarious position.
Bavuma then switched to an aggressive mode, driving Kumara through cover and straight down the ground, even hitting a six.
Mulder, deemed available for batting if necessary, was called in and he hung on as the last-wicket pair added 26 runs.
However, the innings ended when Kagiso Rabada pulled a shot to fine leg, and South Africa was dismissed for 191.
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