Ken Borland

An emphasis on dot-balls – being able to both deliver them and absorb them when batting – stood the Proteas in good stead on Sunday as they dominated the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers.

Having lost the toss and being sent into the field to bowl first, South Africa had to weather a blazing 60 off 67 balls by opener Kusal Perera before fighting back to claim the last nine wickets for just 86 runs to bowl Sri Lanka out for only 157. Wiaan Mulder sparked the collapse by taking three wickets for one run just before lunch, before fast bowler Anrich Nortje ran through the rest of the batting with career-best figures of six for 56.

Dean Elgar (92*) and Rassie van der Dussen (40*) were then able to adapt their games to how well Sri Lanka were bowling as they added 114 for the second wicket to take the Proteas to 148 for one at stumps. There were periods when the Sri Lankan bowling was exceptional and both batsmen showed great composure and patience to ride out those tough periods.

Elgar changed gears impressively: his first 25 runs came at a run-a-ball but he reached his half-century off 70 deliveries, before accelerating again as his next 42 runs came off 49 balls. Van der Dussen faced 26 deliveries before getting off the mark but refused to give his wicket away in an immense display of restraint.

“As a bowling unit we did very well and it was great to improve the way we did after the first innings at Centurion. Lungi Ngidi bowling three maidens up front set the tone and we knew that if we were building dots them something will happen. Credit to Wiaan for bowling really well from the start, he didn’t just bowl dot balls but got wickets as well which helps us so much.

“We just wanted to be tight and keep things as simple as possible, use the extra bounce and not try and do miracles. We stuck to what we wanted which was to bowl in the channel, get dot balls and not try to do too much. It’s very important to bring the run-rate down because that usually creates wickets, but Dean and Rassie knew they had a lot of time and did not rush. They played that tight period very well, they knew there was no need to try and hit balls outside off that posed a risk. They played the conditions really well and when the straight balls came they got the runs. Credit to them, they really batted well,” Nortje said after the close of play.

Mulder may not have the excess speed of Nortje, but it was the all-rounder who pulled Sri Lanka back by removing Kusal with a good length delivery angled across the left-hander. Sticking to that probing line and length and getting a bit of movement was what he used to dismiss Kusal Mendis and Lahiru Thirimanne as well.

“Wiaan got the wickets he deserved and he has been amazing for us. He still bowls at a good speed, but to have control like that is so valuable. Dwaine Pretorius did a similar role against England and it’s nice to have a bowling partnership like that. Wiaan just keeps doing what he does and that makes it much easier for the rest of us.

“He doesn’t just hold up an end. He’s building pressure and adding a lot of value to the attack,” Nortje said.