South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by 109 runs in the second Test, achieving a 2-0 series sweep and moving to the top of the World Test Championship table. Keshav Maharaj excelled with a five-wicket haul as South Africa dismissed Sri Lanka for 238 runs. Temba Bavuma, the team’s captain, acknowledged the hard-fought nature of the series, while Sri Lanka is now out of WTC contention.
South Africa has successfully completed a 2-0 series victory over Sri Lanka by triumphing with a 109-run margin in the second Test at St George’s Park. This win culminated on the final day of the match, with South Africa demonstrating commendable performance in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. Keshav Maharaj starred with the ball, claiming five wickets for 76 runs, and helped dismiss Sri Lanka for 238 runs within a swift timeframe of just 70 minutes, thereby ensuring vital points for South Africa.
At the beginning of the day, Sri Lanka stood at 205-5, requiring 143 runs for an improbable victory. However, South Africa swiftly dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order, ensuring that they could not add to their performance in the first Test, which they had won by 233 runs. The breakthrough came for South Africa after seven overs, with Maharaj contributing significantly to the bowling effort as he dismissed key Sri Lankan players, including Kusal Mendes and team captain Dhananjaya de Silva.
With this outcome, South Africa advanced to the top position of the WTC points table, overtaking Australia and India, who are currently involved in a competitive Test series. South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, who notably received the Man of the Series award for his outstanding batting, expressed pride in the team’s resilience despite the challenges posed by a strong Sri Lankan side.
Bavuma remarked, “That was what Test cricket is all about. It is rare to play for five days and also rare when the game is always in the balance.” This statement emphasizes the thrilling nature of the contest and the level of skill displayed by both teams. Following this defeat, Sri Lanka finds itself eliminated from contention in the WTC, highlighting the competitive nature of the current international Test cricket landscape.
The World Test Championship is a league competition for Test cricket run by the International Cricket Council (ICC), with matches taking place over a two-year period. Teams calculate their rankings based on a series of bilateral Test matches, with points accrued according to match results. The final match determines the champion of the Championship. The recent series between South Africa and Sri Lanka was pivotal for both sides, as only a series win would keep them in the hunt for a spot in the WTC finals.
South Africa’s achievement of sweeping the series against Sri Lanka not only solidifies their position at the top of the World Test Championship but also demonstrates their competitive prowess in the international cricket arena. Keshav Maharaj’s exceptional bowling performance and Bavuma’s resilient captaincy were central to their success. This victory marks a significant milestone for South Africa as they aim for further accomplishments in upcoming matches, while Sri Lanka must regroup after this setback.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
