Share

Faf looks to negate Sri Lankan spin

Port Elizabeth - South African captain Faf du Plessis said he hoped a grassy St George's Park pitch would negate Sri Lanka's spin threat in the first Test starting on Monday.

"There's a little more grass on the wicket than might be normal," Du Plessis said in his pre-match press conference.

"That is making sure that we take their most dangerous player out of the game."

Du Plessis was referring to left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka's match-winner in their only victory in 10 previous Tests in South Africa. Herath took nine wickets when Sri Lanka won in Durban in 2011/12.

But Du Plessis said it was normal for the St George's pitch to help the spinners in the latter stages of a Test match.

"The pitch looks very dry and Sri Lanka brings a different style of play to Australia (where South Africa won a series last month). They have really good spinners so our focus has been on making sure we prepare for that."

Du Plessis said he was looking for more consistency from the South African batsmen.

"As a collective batting unit, each of our top seven has had good games and got hundreds but what we are looking for is more consistency and to push that bar a bit higher," he said.

Du Plessis added that South Africa could not afford to underestimate their opponents, despite their poor record in South Africa and them having a young, largely inexperienced team.

"Young guys can pose the same threat as more experienced players, even more so sometimes because they bring something different."

But he said he expected South Africa's pace bowlers to pose a challenge to the tourists.

"There should be enough in the pitch for the seamers," he said.

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews, meanwhile, said his team had prepared well and that the young batsmen in the side had stepped up to fill the gaps left by Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakeratne Dilshan, who have all retired recently.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE