Twitter Reactions: South Africa pip Australia to claim second spot in WTC standings with emphatic Durban win over Sri Lanka

Dinesh Chandimal's gritty 83 was one of the few positives for his side throughout the game.

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South Africa vs Sri Lanka
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South Africa vs Sri Lanka. (Source - Getty Images)

Resuming Day 4 of the first Test on a score of 103/5 with 413 runs to be hunted down, it was always going to be an uphill task for Sri Lanka. The hosts were on top and it felt like it would be just a matter of time before they would emerge victorious. 

However, they were made to wait patiently due to two tenacious partnerships, both involving the seasoned Dinesh Chandimal. Dhananjaya de Silva played an impressive supporting role to Chandimal. Both of them weathered out the bowling attack for quite some time, occasionally picking up the boundary too. Skipper De Silva looked particularly comfortable against Keshav Maharaj during his time in the middle.

However, Maharaj had the last laugh by scalping de Silva on 59. Out came Kusal Mendis at No. 8. Due to a surprising move of sending in Prabath Jayasuriya as a night-watcher the previous day, the management held Mendis back to offer some stability to the lower middle-order.

Gerald Coetzee's caught & bowled to dismiss Chandimal was a soft dismissal in all honesty. The last ray of hope for a miracle was dismissed by the star of the match for the Proteas, Marco Jansen, accounting for his 10th wicket for the match. He eventually ended up with 11 as he rattled the stumps of Asitha Fernando to provide his side with a comprehensive victory.

As a result, of this win, the Proteas have leapfrogged Australia to claim the second spot in the current World Test Championship (WTC) standings. If South Africa continue in the same manner they did, they are set to be the favourites to book a berth in the final of the ongoing WTC cycle. Their next three Tests are against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, all at home. They need to win at least to guarantee themselves a shot at the title.

Here's how X reacted to Day 4 of the first Test between SA and SL:

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