South Africa (Commonwealth) _ When South Africa hosts Sri Lanka at St George’s Park on Thursday, they will be one step closer to the final at Lord’s, continuing their quest for a spot in the World Test Championship final.
If South Africa wins both their home games against Pakistan, which start later this month, and the second and final Test of the series, they will secure a spot in the final.
The visitors might prefer the ground in Gqeberha, but they crushed Sri Lanka by 233 runs in the opening Test in Durban, bowling all batters out for their lowest score of 42 in the first inning.
The beachfront site, typically slower and lower in speed, provides spinners with more opportunities. In 2019, Sri Lanka emerged as the only subcontinent team to sweep a Test series in South Africa, winning by an unprecedented eight wickets.
Due to injuries to fast bowler Gerald Coetzee and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, the hosts have called up 18-year-old quick Kwena Maphaka to replace the latter.
While it’s uncertain if he will make his debut, he has a significant opportunity given that Dane Paterson is the team’s other seamer option. South Africa may choose to use spinning all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy or substitute one extra batter for Mulder. There were a few outstanding individual performances in the first Test victory.
Captain Temba Bavuma and the more formidable Tristan Stubbs both reached second-inning batting hundreds, while quick bowler Marco Jansen claimed career-best match numbers of 11-86, including 7-13 in the first innings.
Following his team’s fourth consecutive Test victory, coach Shukri Conrad commended their mentality. We move forward, and we keep reminding the boys that they must be authentic both on and off the field, Conrad said.
They are simply a wonderful group of people who work hard, enjoy each other’s company off the field, and train diligently. After their terrible first innings in Durban, Sri Lanka needed to become better at the bat, and they succeeded by hitting 282 in the second.
Batting coach Thilina Kandamby stated, “We have a very experienced unit, and they have been faced with circumstances like this before.” “I don’t believe the guys are depressed. We have a lot of faith in them.
Sri Lanka may advance to the WTC final as well, but they will need to defeat Australia in two home Test matches beginning in January and win in Gqeberha.
As countries compete for the coveted top two spots on the points table to guarantee their spot in the Lord’s final the following year, the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 has reached a pivotal moment.
Although qualifying is a difficult job for Sri Lanka, who are currently ranked fourth with a points percentage of 50%, they still have the chance as long as they make the most of their remaining fixtures.
With half of their potential points secured, Sri Lanka is in a perilous fourth place. They have three games left in the cycle: a two-Test home series against Australia and an away Test matchup against South Africa. These games will determine their fate in the title race.
Only if Sri Lanka wins the final three games will they be able to finish with the greatest possible point percentage of 61.54%. Their qualifying would still be dependent on the outcomes of other teams, namely South Africa, Australia, and India, but this would keep them in the running for a top-two finish.
Although still difficult, second place is a more achievable goal for Sri Lanka. In order to keep their dreams alive, they must defeat South Africa in the second Test. This will increase their percentage of points and prepare them for the domestic series against Australia, which they must win handily.
With a series whitewash of New Zealand and a historic victory over England, Sri Lanka went into the WTC cycle full of optimism. However, a crushing defeat to South Africa in Durban put a stop to their season. If they want to remain competitive, they need to adjust their approach and fix the flaws found in the first test.
In the upcoming game against South Africa at Gqeberha, Sri Lanka has a fantastic opportunity to gain momentum. When playing Australia at home, the team will rely on its seasoned players to perform well under duress and take advantage of the comfortable surroundings.
