South Africa are by no means a weak side

South Africa have won the last two bilateral ODI series played in Sri Lanka

• SL must be at their best to beat them
• Eight players of SA’s winning side of 2018 in ODI squad

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

South Africa’s last two tours to Sri Lanka in 2018 and 2014 for bilateral ODI series has proved to be successful. Sri Lanka, on this occasion, will be keenly looking forward to reverse that trend and secure their first series win against them since 2013 when the three-match ODI commences under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium from Thursday.

It is imperative for Sri Lanka to carry the success they had in the third and final ODI against India into the South African series, because winning it will certainly enhance their position in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League standings where they stand two points behind South Africa with 22 points from 12 matches – double the number of matches played by the Proteas.

South Africa are minus three key players for this tour – Quinton de Kock, David Miller and Lungi Ngidi – all three of whom were part of the 3-2 series winning unit of 2018, but they have in their ranks eight players who also played a part in that win on their last tour here three years ago.

Reeza Hendricks, Hienrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, and Tabraiz Shamsi were all members of the last South African white-ball team to tour Sri Lanka. So, South Africa are not short on experience of players who have had a taste of what Sri Lankan pitches and conditions are like when they go into the ODI series.

South Africa won the 2018 series not by spin but with pace, where Rabada (six wickets), Nigidi (10) and Phehlukwayo (nine) with 25 wickets between them played the major role in their win. They will be looking for similar success this time too. Although Ngidi has missed out, they have a capable replacement in Anrich Nortje.

Sri Lanka, currently on a team building process with emphasis being placed on many youngsters looking ahead at the 2023 World Cup, have five players who took part in the 2018 series, namely Dasun Shanaka, who is the captain for the upcoming series, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Lahiru Kumara and Akila Dananjaya, who was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowling unit with 14 wickets (avg. 17.85) and an economy rate of 5.95.

Dananjaya on this occasion will have the leg-spin of Wanindu Hasaranga for support. The Lankan leg-spinner is in the form of his life so far, bowling his country to a T20I series win over India to go up in the T20I bowlers’ rankings to no. 2 behind Shamsi, and then being picked to represent Royal Challengers Bangalore for the second leg of the IPL starting at the end of the series against South Africa.

If Sri Lanka opt to beat South Africa with spin they have plenty of options. Apart from Dananjaya and Hasaranga, there are newcomers such as Praveen Jayawickrama, Pulina Tharanga and the ambidextrous Kamindu Mendis. Unlike the last series, all the matches will take place at one venue.

Of the five bilateral ODI series played between the two countries in Sri Lanka, the tally stands at 2 series wins each to Sri Lanka (2004, 2013) and South Africa (2014, 2018) with one drawn (1993). Match wise, Sri Lanka has won 13, South Africa seven with one No Result out of 21 bilateral ODIs played in Sri Lanka. The overall tally is 31 wins to Sri Lanka, 44 wins to South Africa with 1 Tie and 1 no result from 77 ODIs.