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Sri Lanka were 212 times three at tea.
Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva (R) is helped off the field by medical personnel after being injured during the first day of the first test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26, 2020. Image : AFP.
CENTURION – Dhananjaya de Silva led a resurgence of Sri Lanka’s hitting before being forced to retire injured on the first day of the first Test Match against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.
Sri Lanka were 212 times three at tea.
De Silva made 79 of 105 balls before standing up clutching his left hip while completing a run. He received treatment in the field before being removed on a motorized stretcher.
De Silva and Dinesh Chandimal (50 no out) stabilized Sri Lanka’s innings after a rough start in which they lost their first three wickets for 54 runs within 11 overs. The pair added 131 runs before De Silva’s injury.
De Silva played some fluid shots hitting 11 fours and sixes, while Chandimal played an anchor role, hitting his 116-ball half-century on the last lap before tea.
Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne took advantage of some loose bowls from South African rookie Lutho Sipamla to score 22 of 20 balls before Lungi Ngidi shot him from the inside edge for the total of 28 in the fifth over.
Sri Lanka then lost two wickets to loose shots with a total of 54.
Kusal Mendis accelerated a shot and was caught in the middle of Anrich Nortje before Kusal Perera played a wild cut to Wiaan Mulder and was caught behind in the next over.
South Africa was deploying its most inexperienced fast bowling attack since 1993, with Ngidi, Nortje, Sipamla and the all-rounder Mulder with just 12 matches and 35 wickets between them.
On a pitch that offered rebound and early movement, players struggled to find consistency, with Sipamla filtering 28 runs in three overs with the new ball. Sipamla was playing ahead of the uncovered Glenton Stuurman, who was expected to play, but was deemed to have not fully recovered from a thigh injury.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, the match was played without spectators.
It was the first test match since January for both teams.
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