[ad_1]
Proteas coach Mark Boucher believe your team is capable of defeating Sri Lanka in the two-test series that begins at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.
“We are in a reconstruction phase and we have some young people around, but we are playing in conditions that suit us better than the opposition,” Boucher said on Friday.
“If we accelerate and execute the plans that we have put in place, I think we will give ourselves a very good chance to beat them.”
Sri Lanka has won its four most recent Tests against South Africa, including a stunning 2-0 win on their road trip two seasons ago.
“I didn’t see much,” Boucher said of the 2018/19 series, “but it’s something that we can channel in our favor. We can’t just jump into this as a team.”
READ | Proteas decide on a ‘significant gesture’ to show a united front against racism
South Africa has a strong Centurion record, including victories in the previous four rounds against Sri Lanka at the venue.
Boucher said there were “a couple of problems” related to fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Glenton Stuurman that would delay the final selection of an eleven in play.
Both went through intensive training on Thursday with no apparent problem, but Boucher said they would need to be tested after a night’s rest.
Sri Lanka also has an injury problem as Suranga Lakmal is suffering from a strained hamstring. Lakmal was described by coach Mickey Arthur earlier in the week as “the leader of our attack.”
Sri Lanka’s captain Dimuth Karunaratne told reporters on Thursday that he believed his team could match South Africa in the quality of its bowling rhythm. “If you look at the rhythm, we are almost the same,” he said.
“I think the hitters will make a difference. Whoever has the better hitting side has a good chance of winning the series.”
Both teams are staying at a country club near Pretoria, a short drive from the test venues in Centurion and Johannesburg.
With an increase in Covid-19 infections in South Africa, both events will be played without spectators.
Neither team has played an international red ball game since January, when South Africa ended a 3-1 loss in a home series against England, while Sri Lanka won a two-game series 1-0 in Zimbabwe.
The game starts at 10:00.
