Sri Lanka kingpins out twice in one day
AFTER Durban last week, Dinesh Chandimal must have wondered what the big fuss about Test cricket was actually about. It all seemed so easy for the little wicketkeeper who had become the first Sri Lankan to score twin half-centuries on debut, and was part of Sri Lanka’s maiden Test win on South African soil.
However, after three days at Newlands in this deciding Test, Chandimal has been exposed to the ruthlessness of Test cricket, and especially his team’s susceptibility on pitches outside of the sub-continent.
With two days to go in Cape Town, the tourists lost 12 wickets yesterday and require 204 more to make South Africa bat again, with only six wickets intact.
Although Chandimal is the next man in, the task is a mammoth one, considering both Sri Lankan stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were dismissed twice yesterday.
The Newlands pitch is a far cry from the Centurion mamba the Sri Lankans encountered in the first Test that resulted in an innings defeat, but that does not mean the Proteas attack has lost its menace, especially with Vernon Philander back in the saddle after missing the Kingsmead Test.
“I felt the South African attack bowled very well. They hit really good areas, and showed good aggression, and put pressure on our batting line-up, and we succumbed to it,” Chandimal told reporters at the close yesterday.
The 22-year-old was not completely distraught with the way the day had gone, but did offer little hope that his team could stage a brave fightback to save the match, and with it the series.
“The wicket is still good, but the South Africa attack doesn’t give you a chance to relax. Their bowlers vary their deliveries and it is hard and they are always putting you under pressure,” he said.
Proteas captain Graeme Smith really does have the benefit of one of the most varied attacks that he has ever had the pleasure of calling upon.
All three of his pace bowlers – Dale Steyn, Morné Morkel and Philander – are all vastly different to each other. Steyn is quick and skiddy, Morkel gets extravagant bounce off a good length and Philander has the ability to move the ball both ways at will. Add Imran Tahir’s leg-spinners and the attack is complete, with no need to mention that Smith, himself, bowled two overs of off-spin.
But while it was a united effort from the bowling unit to exert pressure throughout the day, Philander was again the standout bowler. His impressive start to Test cricket appears to have no limit, and his three-wicket haul in Sri Lanka’s first innings put South Africa on their way to claiming that magical 20-wicket mark required.
He could easily have added another five-wicket haul to the four he has already bagged in his first four Tests with a bit more luck, but was rewarded for his skill with the big scalp of Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan in the second innings.
“There was no real pace in the wicket. Yes ... I would say it was the toughest wicket we’ve had (this summer). And it is a whole new ball game, but I always back myself to get wickets. The boys are happy with the 12 wickets we took in a day,” Philander said.
The opening bowler, though, was quick to point out that it was no singular effort, but did reserve special praise for Tahir, who seemed to settle in his role after some indifferent performances in his opening season of Test cricket.
“Imran does a big job for us. He is growing in confidence as he gets to bowl more overs after not bowling many during the Australian series and we’re all very happy for him,” said Philander, who also chirped his Pakistanborn teammate about his extravagant celebrations.
“There’s no stopping him, he just loves the crowd and the attention.” BAYERN Munich president Uli Hoeness has called for Sepp Blatter to resign or be removed as president of world football governing body Fifa. Hoeness told Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview marking his 60th birthday yesterday that Blatter should step down in view of continuing corruption scandals affecting Fifa. “The latest incidents finally show for me that Blatter should not again be given the time until the end of his office,” he said.