South Africa aim for Test series sweep against Sri Lanka
South Africa and Sri Lanka will go head to head in a decisive Test match, with both teams in the hunt for a berth in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. The Proteas are high on confidence after their 233-run victory over Sri Lanka in Durban. However, the current WTC points system doesn't reward big winning margins, meaning this triumph is just a standard win. Here we present the match preview and stats.
Sri Lanka aim for stronger performance in Gqeberha
Sri Lanka are keen to put up a stronger fight in the next match in Gqeberha. The team's batters are especially keen on avoiding another collapse like the one witnessed in Durban. They have admitted the difficulty of facing South Africa's tall quicks on tracks that provide more bounce than they are used to at home. Sri Lanka were bundled out for 42 in their first innings. That was the reason behind their hefty defeat.
South Africa's batting form and injury concerns
Despite getting bundled out for 191 in the first innings at Kingsmead, South Africa's batters are in good touch. Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs slammed tons in the match. However, the team has injury concerns with Wiaan Mulder and Gerald Coetzee ruled out. They will depend on their spearheads Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, who shared 14 wickets between them in the last Test. Jansen led the show with 11 scalps.
Players to watch out for: Stubbs and Kumara
Stubbs managed scores worth 16 and 122 in the Durban Test match. Overall, he owns 439 runs in Tests at 43.90. On the Sri Lankan side, Lahiru Kumara is their fastest bowler and was the most penetrative at Kingsmead. He is just one dismissal away from reaching 100 wickets, a feat only achieved by four seam bowlers in Sri Lanka's history. Kumara averages 35.97 in Tests.
Team updates ahead of the decisive Test
South Africa have announced their XI for the match, with Ryan Rickelton and Dane Paterson replacing Mulder and Coetzee. The change means an extra batter, three seamers, and a spinner for the team. Sri Lanka are also considering major changes to their attack, possibly including four fast bowlers considering Milan Rathnayake's batting skills. They are also keen to find a place for Oshada Fernando who recently scored 122 and 80 for Sri Lanka A in South Africa.
SA's playing XI for the 2nd Test
SA playing XI: Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson.
Here's the pitch report
As per ESPNcricinfo, there is a significant amount of grass on the surface. Notably, the westerly wind is forecast for most of the match. This could make batting first a priority as the side can use deteriorating conditions later on.
Key stats on offer for the Sri Lankans
Kumara (99) can go past the likes of Dilhara Fernando (100) and Lasith Malinga (101) in terms of wickets for Sri Lanka among pacers. Angelo Mathews owns 7,966 runs in Test cricket. He is 34 runs shy of the 8,000-run mark. Dinesh Chandimal has 5,946 runs in Tests and is 54 shy of the 6,000-run mark. Kusal Mendis (4,416) is nearing the 4,500-run mark for the Lankans.
