Ken Borland

Faf du Plessis was scoring off his hips like a veteran gunslinger and the ball was pinging off Temba Bavuma’s bat as the pair dominated the closing stages of the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka, rescuing South Africa from a mid-afternoon wobble and lifting them to 317 for four at stumps.

Du Plessis opened up the leg-side for himself with great skill and also unleashed some superb drives through the off side as he scored 55 not out. Bavuma was 41 not out as he helped lift the Proteas from 220 for four.

Both batsmen came in under pressure with South Africa having lost three wickets for 20 runs, after an excellent opening stand of 141 between Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram.

Markram was superb on the drive as he cruised to his 68 off just 94 balls, but he had also shown excellent discipline in leaving well outside off stump. But towards the end of his innings there were just some signs of looseness and he was dismissed on the stroke of 2pm when edged a loose drive off left-arm swing bowler Vishwa Fernando to gully.

Elgar was in typically pugnacious mood as he moved to 95 off just 120 deliveries. It was a fabulous display of opening batsmanship as he scored fluently through the leg side and also weathered a fierce short-pitched, bodyline type attack from fast bowler Lahiru Kumara. But pushed on to the back foot, Elgar then went for a wide half-volley from seamer Dashun Shanaka, who pulled off a sharp return catch.

Kumara returned to line and length against Rassie van der Dussen, and had him caught behind for 15 with an excellent delivery, before debutant leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga had Quinton de Kock caught at slip after the Proteas captain had raced to 18 off 11 balls.

But Du Plessis and Bavuma showed brilliant composure and technical skill as they repelled Sri Lanka’s surge.

South Africa needed to bat very well to wrest control of the match away from Sri Lanka after the tourists had posted 396 all out, their highest ever total in this country.

Shanaka, who was forced to bowl many more overs than he would have expected after paceman Kasun Rajitha left the field injured after bowling just 13 deliveries, led the way with the bat as he blasted 66 not out with five sixes as Sri Lanka moved rapidly from their overnight score of 340 for six.

The Proteas attack was under the pump again but debutant Lutho Sipamla ended a record 67-run stand for the seventh wicket by removing Rajitha for 12. He then skittled Vishwa first ball with a beauty that was angled in and straightened to hit off-stump. Sipamla also claimed the last wicket to end with four for 76, highly creditable figures considering the poor start he made on the first day.

All-rounder Wiaan Mulder says the Proteas need to bowl the Sri Lankans out as quickly as possible on the second morning of the first Test at Centurion, to “lessen the damage” done by a tough first day with the ball for the South African team.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Sri Lanka posted 340 for six on the first day, generally holding the upper hand before Mulder, with three for 68 in 18 overs, sparked a fightback to give the Proteas some hope. But it was a day of toil for the South African attack, who fielded their most inexperienced pace quartet – with just 12 caps between them – since the Boxing Day Test against Australia in 1993.

“We started out a bit shaky and the nerves were through the roof. I’m sure it was pretty much the same for everyone, we all want to do a job for the team and I’m sure everyone handles the pressure differently. The senior players made sure they didn’t make any situation out there bigger or smaller than it was and we all just tried to keep it simple and be aggressive.

“We learnt a lot of lessons today and we need to get Sri Lanka out as soon as possible. If we can bowl them out early in the first session then we can lessen the damage of today and our batsmen can then go out and get a big score. The ball is nipping a bit, especially the new ball, but then it goes soft. If we can play the ball later and have a good defence then we’ll give ourselves the best chance,” Mulder said after the close of play at SuperSport Park.

While the Sri Lankan batsmen, especially the impressive Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored 79 not out before he had to retire hurt, were keen to dictate terms against the inexperienced attack, the 22-year-old Mulder had the nous to know he had to keep things simple under pressure.

“It was pretty simple what I had to do: I just tried to keep the ball on off-stump and bowl as many dot-balls as possible to try and get us back into the game. There was a little bit in the pitch, especially with the new ball up front. But it wasn’t a great ball to get my first wicket.” Opener Kushal Perera (16) aimed an extravagant slash at a wide delivery from Mulder and was caught behind.

“If we had bowled fuller, with more balls hitting the stumps and on a fourth-stump line then I think we would have taken more wickets. We had to keep it simple. Then Dhananjaya’s unlucky injury gave us a bit of a chance. But that sexy length was a bit short on this pitch and not as effective. But we are a very young team and we will click one of these days,” Mulder said.

Sri Lanka were in firm control for much of the first day of the first Test in Centurion on Saturday, but a gallant effort by the toiling Proteas bowlers saw them peg back the tourists, who reached stumps on 340 for six.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Sri Lanka’s batsmen were in an aggressive mood and with the Proteas fielding their most inexperienced pace attack – with just 12 caps between the four of them – since the 1993 Boxing Day Test against Australia, the runs came quickly.

The fifty was brought up in the 10^th over for the loss of just captain Dimuth Karunaratne’s wicket for 22, cramped by Lungi Ngidi’s good use of the inswinger from around the wicket to the left-hander. Sri Lanka looked in danger of getting carried away by their own positivity though when they lost wickets in successive overs to Anrich Nortje and Wiaan Mulder, both Kusal Mendis (12) and Kusal Perera (16) falling to loose strokes.

But as soon as Dhananjaya de Silva came in at 54 for three, the initiative was firmly in the hands of the Sri Lankans. Looking in fine touch from the outset, Dhananjaya had breezed to 32 not out at lunch as the tourists went into the break on 102 for three.

Dhananjaya and Dinesh Chandimal were pretty rampant in the first hour of the second session and there seemed little likelihood of the Proteas attack making inroads. Until Sri Lanka were struck by a large dose of misfortune when Dhananjaya, having cruised to a fluent 79 not out, strained a thigh muscle in completing a quick single and had to retire hurt. The injury was bad enough for him to be carried off the field in a buggy.

Chandimal and Dhananjaya’s partnership of 131 equalled Sri Lanka’s fourth-wicket record against South Africa, set by Mahela Jayawardena and Angelo Mathews in Colombo in 2014.

Some momentum was inevitably lost after Dhananjaya’s unfortunate departure but Chandimal then took charge and, with an impressively composed Niroshan Dickwella, they ensured South Africa did not force their way back into the game, at least until midway through the final session as another 99 runs were added.

But it was all-rounder Mulder, playing his first Test since he made his debut against Sri Lanka in February 2019, who sparked the comeback by the Proteas. He produced a brute of a delivery to have Chandimal caught in the slips for 85, a defiant and classy innings, and then trapped Dickwella lbw for 49. He could be well-pleased with his day’s work, netting him three for 68 in 18 overs, an excellent effort considering he was under pressure to perform back-up seamer duties as debutant Lutho Sipamla really struggled in the morning.

Sipamla bowled better and better as the day progressed though, and he claimed his maiden Test wicket when he bowled fellow debutant Wanindu Hasaranga for 18.

Dashun Shanaka (25*) and Kasun Rajitha (7*) then saw off the second new ball burst from Nortje and Ngidi.

Nortje was also impressive on a tough first day, he bowled with tremendous fire and intensity, and he deserved better than his final figures of one for 60 in 18 overs.

The effectiveness of a gesture has much to do with its visibility and I’m not sure how the Proteas’ raised-fist gesture before the start of the first Test against Sri Lanka was captured by the TV cameras or how it came across on screens across the land. But watching it at SuperSport Park on Saturday morning, it looked a little awkward and unconvincing.

Cricket South Africa did issue a statement before the start of the Test tipping the media off that the demonstration of the Proteas’ support for the Black Lives Matter campaign would take place “at the beginning of the series”. I would have expected it to happen during the anthem, which would have been easy to co-ordinate and full of meaning.

Instead we were given an awkward few moments after Nkosi Sikelel’ Afrika where the players looked at each other like the kids in a poorly-rehearsed choir, Quinton de Kock and Dean Elgar, on the right-hand end of the line, raised their fists and then the rest hesitated, before eventually everyone followed suit.

One can only hope the team shows better cohesion as batting and bowling units.

And one presumes they will also make a better fist of paying tribute to the much-loved Robin Jackman, who passed away on Christmas Day, when they wear black armbands in honour of the former England cricketer on Sunday’s second day.

Jackman may have played four Tests and 15 ODIs for England, but he was a massive contributor to South African cricket – playing for both Rhodesia and Western Province, and then moving into coaching and television commentary. Trained by the BBC, Jackers was quality on the air, melding a sharp cricketing brain and a wry sense of humour.

While coaching Western Province, he played a key role in the early careers of future superstars like Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten.

On the field, Jackman, short in stature but big on skill, was perhaps a sort of English Vernon Philander as a bowler.

And off the field, Jackers was even more of a legend. I cannot believe anyone loved cricket more than he did, and he was generous in sharing his passion for the game with anyone and everyone who crossed his path. His enthusiasm for the game was matched by his love of life and the fun hours spent in his company after a day’s play are a fond memory. If there was music around, the evening would often involve some rousing singing by Jackman.

Speaking of Kallis, it was bittersweet to find out in the last week that the great all-rounder, for so long the hub of the Proteas team, will now be working with England as a batting consultant.

The sadness comes not only from the fact he will no longer be working with the South African team but also the sheer hypocrisy in some quarters that greeted the announcement.

Some of the loudest voices who were slamming Graeme Smith, the director of cricket, for hiring his ‘buddy’ for the series against England last summer were now tearing into the former Proteas captain for not ensuring Kallis stayed in the South African system.

Considering the amount of racially-charged abuse that was hurled at Kallis, as well as the obvious fact that England are one of the best-paying teams in the world, it is hardly surprising that he has gone where his input will be truly appreciated. I am happy for him on that score.

Never mind the edict issued by Kugandrie Govender, the then acting CEO of Cricket South Africa, back in September that the national team would no longer be permitted to hire White consultants.

The knives are still clearly out for Smith and the plotters will use any weapon they can against him.