South Africa 317 for 4 (Elgar 95, Markram 68, du Plessis 55 *) way Sri Lanka 396 (Chandimal 85, de Silva 79, Sipamla 4-76) with 79 runs
Aiden Markram went to fifty, Dean Elgar secured 95, and then Faf du Plessis joined Temba Bavuma for a 97-run stand late in the day, as South Africa dominated the Test from Sri Lanka’s attack. which had greatly diminished. They finished day two just 79 runs behind him, with six wikis in their hands. In addition to a short time early in the third session, when they lost three wikis for 20 runs, their progress was trouble-free, and usually fast – the runs flowing at 4.4 or more.
Although South Africa made the most of their scoring in the afternoon and afternoon sessions, the day was explained by events that happened before lunch. Prior to playing, it was confirmed that Dhananjaya de Silva had tears of stage two in his left thigh, which meant he could not play an additional part in the series, depriving Sri Lanka not of -only a bat, but also their only spinner with experience in the South African Position.
Early in the South African innings, Sri Lanka suffered a breakdown of forward sailor Kasun Rajitha, who appeared to have injured his groin, and was unable to finish his third, which was it has just begun. He did not return to the field for the rest of the day, meaning Sri Lanka missed a third of their bowling facilities, and are likely to play the rest of the Test that way. Dasun Shanaka, an earlier fourteen unbeaten and heavily batting player, ended up bowling nearly 17 pitches a day, to help the team. Wanindu Hasaranga, who won the 23-yard winning streak despite going at 4.3 or more.
It was Markram-Elgar’s position that happily put South Africa on the path after admitting 396, and out of the two, Markram was the most attractive early player in the opening center 141 -run. He drove intriguingly in the arc between cover and midfield, while Sri Lankan quotes looked for a swing and pushed the new ball up.
Lahiru Kumara got a taste of Markram’s brilliant form when he was beaten for two finals in his first after lunch. But he wasn’t just good against the distance he was able to drive – he pulled balls away from his hip, and carved them behind a square on his side as he found room to free his shoulders. His half-century came off just 64 balls, with 44 of his runs scored in limits. This is perhaps the most prosperous moment of Sri Lanka’s day, inspiring the opponents.
Elgar was fighting in Markram’s streams at first, but at any rate it seemed difficult. He survived a lbw optimistic appeal and critique against the first member at Shanaka after lunch, but worked himself into his innings with reasonable silence, before playing more widely after Markram reach half a century. He was particularly good through the side of the leg, as Sri Lanka went at his body, and was heavily on the first Hasaranga, to whom he clung for three square boundaries after reaching his own fifty. , far 71 balls.
Markram’s dismissal, for 68 out of 94, barely hindered Elgar, who at this point was building on aplomb’s loose delivery. He went on without a chance just after tea, when he made his fatal mistake – going through an early friction driver and offering a sharp grip back to Shanaka who kept on brilliantly. It was his mediocre wicket in the evening’s minor fall; Rassie van der Dussen was caught behind him off Kumara’s bowling just before, and Quinton de Kock put the top edge of Hasaranga down just after that.
Du Plessis and Bavuma quickly relinquished South African control of the situation, however. Bavuma was firmly a strong square of the pitch, while du Plessis swiftly punished bowlers down the ground, and worked on the singles around. As the session progressed, the hole of the day watched Sri Lanka bowlers, as they began to stray again towards the close, using more defensive areas, possibly in an attempt to keep the fort until the second new member became available. Du Plessis finished half a century in the last few awards, and did not stay out of 55 out 81 at a stump.
Four Sri Lankan bowlers – Fernando, Kumara, Shanaka and Hasaranga – claimed a wicket apiece. Fernando and Shanaka were the most consistent – the only two going at less than four or more, although Fernando easily threatened both.
Earlier, while Sri Lanka were still batting, Shanaka had four outs of six while South Africa’s quotas were trying to kick it out. He advanced 67 for the seventh wicket with Rajitha, and did not finish out 66 out of 87 after Lutho Sipamla snatched Sri Lanka’s tail.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a Sri Lankan journalist at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf