PERPETUALLY IN TRANSITION

Sri Lanka's apathy comes to the fore

 •  Published on
Mathews' captaincy has lacked imagination, and he has not been able to energise his team in tough times.
Mathews' captaincy has lacked imagination, and he has not been able to energise his team in tough times. © Cricbuzz

Unlike the band at St. George's Park, the one at the Wanderers is not universally popular. While the former is a much-loved institution that has become synonymous with the ground, the latter is a new addition and feels more like a rent-a-crowd bussed in to add some 'atmosphere' to a stadium that is empty for Test cricket save for one day a year.

Yet on Friday evening, as Sri Lanka's batsmen endured their latest collapse and the skies became increasingly dim, the Wanderers band struck a chord when they rolled out a rendition of Eddy Grant's popular anti-apartheid tune 'Gimme Hope Jo'anna'. Word from within the Sri Lanka camp ahead of the third Test was that this was a young group of players who refused to let their heads drop even after two comprehensive defeats. But when even their best period of the series on Friday had failed to put them in the game, hope was certainly fading.

Sri Lanka could be forgiven if they walked onto the Wanderers field on Saturday, hoisted a white flag, and walked off again. With each Test, conditions have become more alien and their performances have at best stood still. At the same time Kagiso Rabada's rhythm has improved, Vernon Philander has returned to his best and South Africa's batsmen have taken turns to score big. It has been clear for some time already that this is not Sri Lanka's tour.

Nevertheless, most of their players have not done enough to deserve sympathy. The batsmen have failed to adapt, posting just three partnerships of 50 or more in the series, and they have dropped countless catches in the field. Angelo Mathews' captaincy has lacked imagination, and he has not been able to energise his team when times have been tough in the field. Nuwan Pradeep has been handed the best pitches he is likely to come across but has produced one good spell in four innings.

Of those to retain their dignity, Rangana Herath can be excused given the way that South Africa's groundsmen have neutralised him, and Lahiru Kumara has done as much as one can expect of a teenager on his first big outing. Then there is Suranga Lakmal, who deserves to have his feet rubbed by his teammates every day until the next Test series. Twelve wickets in five innings do not give a fair impression of how well he has bowled, and on the second day at the Wanderers he bore the full fury of Friday the 13th's bad luck.

After beating the bat of Hashim Amla and nightwatchman Duanne Olivier four times in his first four overs, Lakmal saw Kusal Mendis drop a sitter at second slip from Faf du Plessis in his next one. The frustration was clear, but Lakmal continued and in his sixth over he gave du Plessis a fearful working over, hitting him twice in the midriff. Du Plessis hit the ground the second time and stayed there, needing several moments to gather himself. The pressure was building.

But two deliveries later, the South African captain nudged to backward point and Amla stole the single. A direct hit from Kumara would have found Amla short. Instead the ball missed the stumps and disappeared to the boundary for overthrows. Lakmal took his hat from the umpire and trudged back to fine leg looking like the loneliest man in the world. The sequence of events summed up Sri Lanka's tour.

Their race was run, even as Pradeep and Kumara took the last six South African wickets for just 62 runs, because the damage had been done on day one. "They were probably a touch too short yesterday and that gave us a lot more scoring options," JP Duminy, whose 155 cut Sri Lanka deepest, said on Friday. "When we came and did our analysis on this venue we did say that we would probably have to bowl a touch fuller than you would at another venue. That was probably their shortcoming yesterday and I think they adjusted pretty well today."

Sri Lanka's team is young, eager and bursting with talent. Theirs is the sort of team that anyone would wish well as they find their feet in the Test game. All their supporters might ask for in the remaining days of this match is some fight and some runs - something to give them a little bit of hope.

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