The first day of the Test match between South Africa and Sri Lanka was marred by rain, with the hosts struggling at 80/4 before the weather intervened. The Proteas, after being put in to bat by Sri Lanka, found themselves in trouble early on as their top order collapsed under the pressure of the visitors’ bowling attack. Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi both fell cheaply, leaving South Africa reeling at 54/4 by the 18th over.
The rain started falling during the 21st over, forcing the players to take an early lunch break. Unfortunately, the weather did not improve, and play was abandoned for the day. Proteas captain Temba Bavuma was left not out on 23, with Kyle Verreynne on nine, as they looked to rebuild the innings when play resumes.
Batting coach Ashwell Prince acknowledged that the conditions favored the bowlers, but also pointed out that the Proteas batsmen could have played better. Bavuma had a couple of lucky escapes, being dropped early in his innings and surviving a close call for a no-ball. The skipper will be looking to capitalize on these chances and lead the recovery when play resumes on Thursday.
The Proteas will need to regroup and come back strong on the second day of the match at Kingsmead. With the weather conditions hopefully clearing up, South Africa will be looking to put up a competitive total against Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. Fans can expect an exciting day of cricket as the two teams battle it out on the field. Stay tuned for more updates on this thrilling Test match.
