The middle-order partnership between Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva showed the mindset that batsmen need to have on the bouncy track at Centurion during the Boxing Day Test, writes Khalid Mohidin.
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Patience is one of the biggest lessons for a batsman in Test cricket and consistency is one of the key necessities for bowlers.
The Proteas bowlers were not consistent enough in the first session, Lutho Sipamla in particular missing his lines and lengths.
Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Wiaan Mulder brought the consistency into the match by finding that golden area pitching the ball on 4th/5th stump, angling towards the top of off-stump or outside off between the keeper and first slip.
As soon as the ball was lightly off that key area, both batsmen took the pressure off themselves by finding singles or the boundary.
Although the Proteas bowlers had Sri Lanka down 3 for 54 half-way through the first session, a patient partnership between Chandimal and De Silva, which continued into the second session, was vital to Sri Lanka’s control of the match. Their partnership was valued at 131 off 209 balls.
Unluckily, De Silva was retired hurt on 79 off 105 balls (11 fours and a six).
Chandimal continued to put pressure on the Proteas bringing up his half-century by the end of the 2nd session.
Sri Lanka posted 212/3 by tea.
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
