***Official*** South Africa in Sri Lanka 2014

[viriya]

SA deserved to win this series, but I would've liked no overs lost in the last match.. 20 overs could've made the difference.

SA got back to #1 in the last test in my book.

 

[kykweer.proteas]

Congrats to Mahela for motm... but surely Amla?

 

[OverratedSanity]

This is getting pretty ridiculous. Last 3 years or so have had so many of these epic rearguards. A decade back, most teams would just fall over in the 4th innings. Just another reason why test cricket is imo, better than ever.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Oh and Tahir WAFG

 

[viriya]

Duminy's 2 innings in this match.

3 (58)
3 (64)

 

[YorksLanka]

congrats to SA on winning both the ODI and test series. I see a lot of people are commenting about overs lost and the weather but to be honest, we should have not hvae lost the first test and thats what lost us the series. We simply cant give fantastic players like Amla chances by dropping him over and over again without him coming back to punish us...Disappointed that we lost both series but you win some you lose some and when you come up against a top team, its always gonna be hard.
For us, we can certainly take positives from the likes of Herath and also Dilruwan. Also Dickwella had a reasonable debut and hopefully he will be given a fair chance. Nice to see Mahela getting back to runs and hopefully this will continue for him until he signs off his career soon.Mathews also batted very well through the series but i would like to have seen him bowl a bit more.

 

[YorksLanka]

Note that last match Amla declared before expected in more batting friendly conditions and the home side could not survive.

that's true but its certainly easier when you have a Dale Steyn !! We dont and we also missed the services of Eranga in this match too..Yes the spinners bowled well but i firmly believe that you have to have variation in a bowling attack to stop the batsmen getting used to the type of bowling..

 

[Scaly piscine]

South Africa the clear number 1 side to me. Australia only really have the series in South Africa to point at and say that's a really top result. South Africa have numerous big results in the past few years.

Of course if you had a Test World Cup tomorrow between Australia and South Africa I wouldn't back South Africa. But that's a different issue.

 

[Heboric]

Well done Proteas, a bit of luck there, but for a team who cant play spin they faced a lot of overs.

Great away record continues.

I suppose some small congrats to Tahir for doing something on probably his last test.

 

[91Jmay]

Aus/SA clear 1 and 2. I would probably plump for Aus at the moment just because of the quality players SA have lost recently and obviously the head to head win. Aus will be losing some important players themselves though in next 12 months so not going to be dominating by any stretch IMO.

 

[Maximas]

I think 1-0 doesn't truly reflect how the two teams played over the series, SA dominated after winning the toss (and SL going a bowler down + ball tampering ) in the first test and we did the same here, only difference was that Galle broke up a bit faster and there was no rain, that's the way I see it anyway. 1-1 would have been fair but that's sport eh

 

[cricmahanty]

That's three instances of saving a match on a gruelling last day in as many years by South Africa. And in one of them, they actually came quite close to winning it.

159 in 111 overs could surely be the slowest test innings since 2000.

 

[Maximas]

Also, Mendis should never play test cricket again, he shouldn't have made it back after 2011 in the first place but this puts it beyond doubt, we played nearly the whole series with three bowlers basically. Has anyone heard any news about how Eranga is getting on? Need him back ASAP

 

[kykweer.proteas]

yes this pitch for the second test was really easy to bat on. good thing it didnt break up or take any turn or else SA would have been in big trouble. Next time Sri Lanka should allow for 130 overs to bowl south africa out with their spinners.

 

[Migara]

The only balls that were really threatening were the few off breals and topspinners Mendis has tried. Others usually have been gun barrel straight. If he wants to continue using that carom ball he has to change the flicking finger to the ring finger where middle finger also will helip in spinning the ball. (Heck, even I can spin it to pitch leg and hit off!) Otherwise he has to bowl off break or leg breaks proper as stock ball. The third option is to develop a faster bowl with swing both ways. Otherwise Mendis should never play test match again.

 

[viriya]

What was weird was his offspinner did turn considerably.. there was an over where Sanga was asking him to bowl it more, but he didn't.. just didn't make sense. His stock ball should be the off-spinner and the carrom ball should be the change-up.. on a pitch that takes turn not ripping the ball seems a sin.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Sri Lankas strike rate in this series was 84 balls per wicket in turn south africa bowled 55 balls per wicket.

Pretty good for a team playing outside their home conditions without a spinner in Sri Lanka.

I thought Tahir and Duminy were playing

 

[akilana]

oh they were? Then the srike rate of 55 is even more impressive

 

[Jassy]

South Africa the clear number 1 side to me. Australia only really have the series in South Africa to point at and say that's a really top result. South Africa have numerous big results in the past few years.

We beat SL in SL as well and we didn't need rain to save us either plus we have beaten SA in SA and absolutely annihilated England at home. Not sure what else is needed? Besides, these 'big' results you speak of came when Smith and Kallis were part of the team.

The rankings are a bit of a joke anyway. Sure Aus and SA are the best sides going around but not because of the rankings. The rankings have Pakistan at 3 who have not won a test series in about 3 years!!!!