South Africa Climbs to 2nd Place in WTC Rankings Following 233-Run Victory Over Sri Lanka
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Durban, Nov 30 (NationPress) South Africa has elevated itself to second in the World Test Championship rankings, just behind India, after a commanding 233-run triumph over Sri Lanka at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
The Proteas bowling unit, led by Marco Jansen, dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order in the second innings, restricting them to a mere total of 42. Jansen made history as the first left-arm pacer to achieve a ten-wicket haul for South Africa since the nation's return to international cricket in 1991.
In their first innings, the Proteas faced challenges early on as wickets tumbled rapidly. However, captain Temba Bavuma showcased resilience with a score of 70, helping his team reach 191/10.
After a first innings total below 200, the South African bowlers were under significant pressure on Day 2, yet they performed exceptionally well. Marco Jansen's remarkable spell of 6.5 overs yielded seven wickets, while Kagiso Rabada (1) and Gerald Coetzee (2) assisted in dismissing the visitors for 42, establishing a lead of 149 runs.
Tristan Stubbs (122) and Bavuma (113) set a record for the highest fourth-wicket partnership for South Africa in Tests against Sri Lanka, accumulating 249 runs and surpassing the previous record of 192 held by AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis since 2012 at Newlands, Cape Town. With a total of 366/5, the Proteas declared their innings, leaving the visitors with a daunting target of 516.
Despite valiant efforts from Dinesh Chandimal and captain Dhananjay de Silva, the visitors could not reach the target and were bowled out for 282, granting the home team a memorable victory.
“I always dreamed of five, but never thought I would get ten. This is what you work for. It hasn't sunk in yet (referring to his first innings performance). In the second innings, we thought the surface was a bit flatter, slow, and low, but taking 11 wickets is a dream come true,” Jansen expressed after receiving the Player of the Match award.
Brief Scores: SA: 191/10 & 366/5 dec (Stubbs (122), Bavuma (113); Vishwa Fernando (2/64) beat Sri Lanka: 42/10 and 262/10 (Chandimal (83), De Silva (59) by 233 runs.
