South Africa v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Day 3 - 5 Talking Points

Sri Lanka never looked in the hunt in the final Test against South Africa. Trailing 0-2 down in the series, they had nothing but pride to play for at the Wanderers. However, the way the final Test unfolded, pretty much summed the course of Sri Lanka’s performance on the tour. They lost by a heavy margin of an innings and 118 runs in the final Test.

The fact that the margins for their defeats in the series only got bigger and bigger is a worrying concern for the cricketers of the emerald isle. Coming into the day 3 of the final Test, Sri Lanka looked shaky at 80/4 as against South Africa’s first innings score of 426. A defeat looked inevitable but it could have surely been delayed. The visitors fell like ten pins as they were bowled out twice on the same day to register a humiliating loss in the final Test.

They could muster just 131 in their first innings and then scored 177 in the second. Needless to say, South Africa were all over the visitors on the day and perhaps throughout the series as well. Here are 5 talking points from the day 3 of the final Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka:

1. ‘Experienced’ Sri Lanka middle order fails

With a heavy deficit in hand, Sri Lanka needed two calm heads at the crease to bail them out of trouble for some time at least. They had, perhaps, the two ideal men in their team to handle that situation. Coming to resume the day on 80/4, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal had to ensure that they do not give away any free wickets. More importantly, one of them must stay at the crease for as long as possible, if not both.

But it was not to be that way. Both players departed in space of just 6 overs. Chandimal was caught by Quinton de Kock off the bowling of Vernon Philander on 5. Skipper Mathews could score just 19 before edging a delivery to the keeper off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada.

Also read- SA v SL 3rd Test Review: South Africa complete 3-0 whitewash riding on a collective effort

2. South Africa quicks too quick for Sri Lanka

The Proteas pace attack proved to be too hot to handle for the visitors. Philander and Rabada had been wrecking the Lankan batting attack all throughout the series. The story in the first innings was no different. Both bowlers scalped 3 wickets each as Sri Lanka succumbed to a paltry 131.

Philander returned with figures of 3/28 while Rabada gave away 44 runs for his 3 scalps. They were well supported by Wayne Parnell and Duanne Olivier, who took two wickets each. South African quicks just took about 45.4 overs to wrap up the Sri Lankan first innings.

3. The opening woes continue

After scoring just 131 in the first innings, Sri Lanka hoped that their openers provide them a solid start in the second innings. They were only saddened to see their openers failing to get their act together one more time. Kaushal Silva was dismissed for a golden duck.

In the first innings, the other opener Dimuth Karunaratne had scored the duck. This has been the story of the series. Either of the two openers has always failed to get a start. The visitors certainly need to start thinking about beefing up their top order now.

4. Karunaratne wages a lone war

After seeing his opening partner depart for a duck, Karunaratne did a very good job by trying to hold the fort at the other end. He saw the big match players depart from the other end. He rallied along to notch up his fifty in the meantime as wickets kept tumbling at the other end.

His knock came off 78 balls with 5 fours. However, he could convert his fifty into a bigger score and perished soon after. He was the sixth man to be dismissed in the Sri Lankan second innings.

5. Wayne Parnell joins the pace party

Left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell made the most out of the opportunity that he got in the final Test against Sri Lanka. He came in as a replacement for Kyle Abbott, who had signed a Kolpak deal recently and hence was ineligible for selection. Parnell bagged two wickets in the first innings.

In the second innings, he made sure that the talk did not only encircle around Rabada and Philander. Parnell was the pick of the bowlers in the second innings as he bagged 4/51 in his 10.3 overs.