On Monday, Sri Lanka completed a 2-0 Test sweep of South Africa to record its first ever series win over the Proteas since 2006 after an emphatic 199-run victory in the second Test. The veteran Lankan spinner, Rangana Herath claimed six wickets with his left-arm spin to help bowl out the visitors, who were chasing a mammoth total of 490 for victory in Colombo.
It was also South Africa’s first Test whitewash since it went down in the island nation 2-0 in a two-match series almost 12 years ago. Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma kept the spinners at bay for most of the first session after the visitor started the third day on 139 for five.
De Bruyn impressed one and all with his judicious sweep shots and his rock-solid defense on a surface which was almost turning square, while Bavuma also kept on picking gaps on the leg side and rotating the strike. He made 63 but his resistance ended just after he was caught behind off left-arm spinner Herath, who also had wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock lbw for eight on the stroke of lunch.
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After lunch de Bruyn recorded his maiden Test hundred — South Africa’s only one of the series — but was bowled by Herath for 101. In its first innings, Sri Lanka scored 338 and South Africa could only respond with 124 as Akila Dananjaya took another five-wicket haul.
The host then scored 275 for five before declaring in the second innings.
Sri Lanka had wrapped up the first Test in Galle within three days, reducing South Africa to 73 in the second innings – its lowest Test total since readmission to international cricket.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 338 (Dhananjaya 60, Maharaj 9-129) & 275 for 5 dec (Karunaratne 85, Maharaj 3-154) defeated South Africa 124 (Du Plessis 48, Dananjaya 5-52) & 290 (De Bruyn 101, Herath 6-98) by 199 runs
