SA spinners look to Herath for inspiration

SA have said‚ more than once‚ that despite the prevailing conditions in Sri Lanka they are depending on their fast bowlers to get the job done.

Well they might: it has been that way since Brett Schultz took 20 wickets there in August and September 1993.

But that was before SA were hammered by 278 runs inside three days in the first Test of the 2018 series in Galle — a result that had less to do with their bowling than inept batting in dismal innings of 126 and 73.

With the last match of the series starting in Colombo on Friday‚ SA will take their redemption anywhere they can find it. Like from their spinners.

The visitors’ left-arm laities‚ the orthodox Keshav Maharaj and wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi‚ accounted for eight of the 20 Lankan wickets in Galle.

Thing is‚ only three of SA’s 20 scalps went to the home side’s pace attack, which was limited to Suranga Lakmal‚ who bowled last in the first innings and was not required in the second dig.

The Lankans’ other bowlers were left-armer Rangana Herath‚ off-spinner Dilruwan Perera and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan.

Maharaj struggled to find his range in the first innings‚ not least because he was recovering from illness‚ but bounced back well to take 4/58 the second time around.

Shamsi‚ who took 3/91 and 1/37‚ seemed in danger of missing the second Test when he returned home after the Galle game to attend to a family matter. But team management said on Wednesday he was back in the fold and available.

“Wherever you play in the world you want to be consistent in your lengths and cause the batter to be uncomfortable‚” Maharaj said in Colombo.

“That’s something I had to pick up after the first innings. Obviously I didn’t have rhythm‚ but then I found it in the second innings and I put the ball in much better areas.

“On these wickets‚ as long as you’re putting the ball in the right area with energy on the ball‚ what happens on the wicket you have no control over.

“We don’t know when the ball is going to spin excessively or not. You’ve basically got to put the right ingredients into the wicket and whatever happens from there is in God’s hands.”

For the best example of how to do that Maharaj had to look no further than Herath‚ who has nine 10-wicket hauls in his career haul of 423 and owns four of the top 10 performances in Sri Lanka’s history; one fewer than Muttiah Muralitharan.

“His consistency is phenomenal‚” Maharaj said. “Left-arm spinners are known to control the game but he does something special: he turns the ball at will and slides the ball on at will.

“It’s something that I’d love to learn in my trade and get some knowledge from him.

“I did speak to him in SA [last season] and he did give me some insight‚ but I’d like to pick his brain more about playing in subcontinent conditions because he’s the best in the world at what he does.”