Keshav Maharaj sweeps through Sri Lankan batting

Sri Lanka vs South Africa – 2nd Test

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Keshav Maharaj captured his career-best figures

South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj’s excellent figures of 8 for 116 rattled Sri Lanka in the opening day of the second Test match at the SSC grounds on Friday.

The hosts, who won the first Test in Galle last week, ended the day one 277 for 9 in 86 overs after electing to bat first on a dry surface.

After being 116 for no loss, Sri Lanka lost 9 wickets for just 148 runs as Maharaj recorded the best figures by a visiting bowler in Sri Lanka, breaking Yasir Shah’s record of 7/76 in 2015.

The left arm tweaker, the only recognized spinner in the Proteas’ team changed the complexion of the game with some excellent spin bowling.

In the first session, Sri Lankan openers Dimuth Karunarathne and Danushka Gunathilaka accumulated 93 runs to set a solid platform. Both left-handers reached their half-centuries and recorded Sri Lanka’s first 100+ opening partnership in Tests since October 2016 and first at home after eight years.

Maharaj, broke the 116-run opening stand when he got Karunaratne caught behind with a drifting delivery down the leg side. In the very next over he scalped Gunathilaka when opener went for the slog sweep and top-edged to deep square leg, where Rabada took an impressive diving catch.

Kusal Mendis got off to a good start but found the sweep shot as his ‘Achilles Heel’ as he swept a rank-turner and top-edged to mid-wicket region, where Rabada ran a couple of meters to take another.

Photo Album – Sri Lanka Team Practice Session Before 2nd Test

Late in the second session, Mathews became the ninth Sri Lanka batsman to complete 5,000 runs in Tests, when he edged Lungi Ngidi to the third man boundary. Soon after tea, Maharaj found the edge of the shoulder the former captain’s bat who departed for only 10 runs, giving a low catch to first slip.

Number three batsman Dhananjaya De Silva and Roshen Silva added an invaluable 54 runs for the fifth wicket to keep the Lankan innings on the right path before Kagiso Rabada cleaned up the latter for 22 as the home team were restricted to 223 for 5 in 70 overs.

Maharaj’s ability to land the ball at the correct line and length proved to be too hot to handle for the Lankan lower order. Wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella lasted only 9 balls before becoming Maharaj’s fifth scalp.

De Silva top-scored for Sri Lanka with a fine 60 as he stroked a few of delightful strokes, both on the front foot and back foot to hold the innings together. The marauding spinner trapped De Silva with a straighter delivery, even though the on-field decision was not out, the visitors got the decision changed thanks to the DRS.

Dilruwan Perera was the fourth Sri Lankan batsman to be dismissed attempting the sweep off Maharaj while skipper Suranga Lakmal was sent back courtesy a screamer by Aiden Markram at short-extra cover.

Akila Dhananjaya and Rangana Herath hung-in to add 13 runs in 5.1 overs late in the day as South Africa delayed taking the new ball by four overs.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn though, will probably have to wait another day to get past former teammate Shaun Pollock to become the country’s leading wicket taker in Tests. He is tied with Pollock’s 421 wickets.









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Full Scorecard

Sri Lanka

338/10 & 275/5

(81 overs)

Result

South Africa

124/10 & 290/10

(86.4 overs)

Srilanka won by 199 runs

Sri Lanka’s 1st Innings

Batting R B
Danushka Gunathilake c K.Rabada b K.Maharaj 57 107
Dimuth Karunaratne c Q.De Kock b K.Maharaj 53 110
Dananjaya de Silva lbw by K.Maharaj 60 109
Kusal Mendis c K.Rabada b K.Maharaj 21 34
Angelo Mathews c F.Du Plesis b K.Maharaj 10 24
Roshen Silva b K.Rabada 22 46
Niroshen Dickwella c F.Du Plesis b K.Maharaj 5 9
Dilruwan Perera c L.Nigidi b K.Maharaj 17 24
Akila Dananjaya not out 43 91
Suranga Lakmal c A.Markram b K.Maharaj 0 4
Rangana Herath c Dean Elgar b Keshav Maharaj 35 68
Extras
15 (b 4, lb 2, nb 1, w 8)
Total
338/10 (104.1 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-116 (D Karunaratne, 34.3 ov), 2-117 (D Gunathilaka, 36.3 ov), 3-153 (K Mendis, 48.3 ov), 4-169 (A Mathews, 54.3 ov), 5-223 (R Silva, 69.6 ov), 6-238 (N Dickwella, 72.4 ov), 7-247 (D de Silva, 74.2 ov), 8-264 (D Perera, 80.1 ov), 9-264 (S Lakmal, 80.5 ov), 10-338 (R.Herath, 104.1 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Dale Steyn 17 3 60 0 3.53
Kagiso Rabada 20 3 55 1 2.75
Lungi Ngidi 14.2 1 54 0 3.80
Keshav Maharaj 41.1 10 129 9 3.14
Aiden Markram 8.4 1 24 0 2.86
Dean Elgar 3 1 10 0 3.33

South Africa’s 1st Innings

Batting R B
Aiden Markram lbw by Rangana Herath 7 20
Dean Elgar c Dananjaya De Silva b Akila Dhananjaya 0 4
Theunis de Bruyn c Niroshan Dickwella b Akila Dhananjaya 3 8
Hashim Amla c Kusal Mendis b Dilruwan Perera 19 58
Faf du Flessis c Niroshan Dickwella b Dilruwan Perera 48 51
Temba Bavuma c Kusal Mendis b Dilruwan Perera 11 20
Quinton de Kock lbw by Akila Dhananjaya 32 31
KA Maharaj c Dimuth Karunaratne b Akila Dhananjaya 2 4
Kagiso Rabada c Anjelo Mathews b Dilruwan Perera 1 10
Dale Steyn lbw by Akila Dhananjaya 0 2
Lungi Ngidi not out 0 2
Extras
1 (nb 1)
Total
124/10 (34.5 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-4 (D Elgar, 1.2 ov), 2-8 (T Bruyn, 3.2 ov), 3-15 (A Markram, 8.1 ov), 4-70 (H Amla, 21 ov), 5-85 (Du Plessis, 25 ov), 6-114 (T Bavuma, 30.3 ov), 7-119 (K Maharaj, 31.5 ov), 8-124 (De Kock, 33.2 ov), 9-124 (D Steyn, 33.4 ov), 10-124 (K Rabada, 34.5 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Dilruwan Perera 12.5 1 40 4 3.20
Akila Dhananjaya 13 2 52 5 4.00
R. Herath 9 1 32 1 3.56

Sri Lanka’s 2nd Innings

Batting R B
MD Gunathilaka c Dean Elgar b Keshav Maharaj 61 68
D. Karunaratne c Quinton de Kock b Lungi Ngidi 85 136
D.De.Silva lbw by Keshav Maharaj 0 3
BKG Mendis (runout) Aiden Markram 18 27
A Mathews c Faf du Flessis b Keshav Maharaj 71 147
R. Silva not out 32 99
N. Dickwella not out 7 7
Extras
1 (nb 1)
Total
275/5 (81 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-91 (D Gunathilaka, 18.3 ov), 2-102 (De Silva, 20.2 ov), 3-136 (K Mendis, 28.4 ov), 4-199 (D Karunarathne, 48.1 ov), 5-263 (A Mathews, 79.1 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
KA Maharaj 40 4 154 3 3.85
Kagiso Rabada 8 0 42 0 5.25
Aiden Markram 7 1 18 0 2.57
Theunis de Bruyn 5 0 20 0 4.00
Dale Steyn 11 2 30 0 2.73
Lungi Ngidi 9 5 9 1 1.00
Dean Elgar 1 0 2 0 2.00

South Africa’s 2nd Innings

Batting R B
Dean Elgar lbw by D.Perera 37 80
Aiden Markram lbw by R.Herath 14 24
Theunis de Bruyn b R.Herath 101 232
Hashim Amla b R.Herath 6 18
Faf du Flessis c Anjelo Mathews b A.Dhananjaya 7 13
KA Maharaj lbw by A.Dhananjaya 0 1
Temba Bavuma c N.Dickwella b R. Herath 63 98
Quinton de Kock lbw by R.Herath 8 12
Kagiso Rabada c A.Mathews b D.Perera 18 37
Dale Steyn c D.Gunathilake b R.Herath 6 6
Lungi Ngidi not out 4 4
Extras
26 (b 16, lb 5, nb 4, w 1)
Total
290/10 (86.4 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-23 (AK Markram, 8.1 ov), 2-80 (D Elgar, 23.3 ov), 3-100 (HM Amla, 30.1 ov), 4-113 (F du Plessis, 35.1 ov), 5-113 (KA Maharaj, 35.2 ov), 6-236 (T Bavuma, 73.1 ov), 7-246 (Q de Kock, 75.5 ov), 8-280 (TB de Bruyn, 84.5 ov), 9-280 (K Rabada, 85.2 ov),10-290 (DW Steyn, 86.5 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
R. Herath 32.5 5 98 6 3.02
Dilruwan Perera 30 4 90 2 3.00
Akila Dhananjaya 19 2 67 2 3.53
Suranga Lakmal 2 0 8 0 4.00
Dananjaya de Silva 2 0 5 0 2.50
Danushka Gunathilaka 1 0 1 0 1.00