Marco Jansen on Top, Sri Lanka Flop

South Africa dominated Sri Lanka in a remarkable display of seam bowling, taking just 83 balls to bowl them out for a mere 42 runs—Sri Lanka’s lowest-ever Test total. Marco Jansen on Top, Sri Lanka flop. The star performer with exceptional figures of 7/13, while Kagiso Rabada also played a key role in dismantling the Sri Lankan top order.

The South Africans’ commanding first-innings lead of 149 runs came after a chaotic day of play, where 16 wickets fell within just two sessions on a challenging, seaming pitch in Durban.The morning session saw Sri Lanka struggle mightily as their batsmen failed to cope with the movement and bounce on the pitch. Rabada struck early, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne with a simple nick to first slip, and from there, it was all downhill for the visitors. Jansen, however, was the primary destroyer, removing Pathum Nissanka with a probing delivery outside off-stump and cleaning up Dinesh Chandimal with one that seamed back sharply. Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva both fell while attempting to push the scoring along, and the tail had no answers to the relentless pace attack.

Gerald Coetzee also got in on the action, claiming two key wickets—those of Kamindu Mendis and Kusal Mendis—as Sri Lanka were bowled out in disarray.Jansen’s 41-ball spell, which produced the third-best figures by a South African pacer at home, ensured Sri Lanka’s record low score. The lead of 149 was particularly significant, given that South Africa had been dismissed for just 191 in their own first innings. On a difficult pitch, this lead looked substantial, especially after Sri Lanka’s pacers had caused early damage on Day 2 in favorable conditions.

The morning of Day 2 saw Sri Lanka continue to exert pressure on South Africa. Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando—who had already claimed wickets on the first day—continued to trouble the South African batters. Kumara removed Kyle Verreynne early, trapping him in front, and then had Wiaan Mulder struck on the glove, forcing him off the field for medical attention. Mulder’s injury raised concerns over his participation in the remainder of the Test.By the time South Africa were reduced to 85/6, they were in desperate need of a partnership. Temba Bavuma, however, stood firm at one end, and found a reliable ally in Jansen. The pair focused on defence, seeing off the initial pressure, but Sri Lanka’s spin bowler Prabath Jayasuriya proved to be a key wicket-taker. He had Jansen caught lbw after a sustained period of probing attack. Even as Bavuma moved closer to a half-century, his partners continued to fall, with Coetzee succumbing to a mis-hit off Jayasuriya.With the tail exposed, Keshav Maharaj played a counter-attacking role, hitting a few key boundaries, including a lofted shot over cover and two sixes down the ground. Bavuma, who had been stuck on 49 for a while, eventually brought up his half-century with a hard-fought single. However, soon after, Sri Lanka turned to pace, bringing Fernando and Kumara back into the attack. The move paid off as Maharaj chipped one to mid-off, leaving South Africa vulnerable at 148/8.Bavuma, now under pressure, looked to accelerate. He cut Kumara for a six and drove him through the cover for four. He was eventually dismissed for 70 after skying a delivery from Asitha Fernando. Wiaan Mulder, declared fit to bat, hung in with the lower order, and South Africa reached 191 before their innings came to an end, as Kagiso Rabada was caught behind for a quickfire single

.**Summary:**South Africa 191 (Temba Bavuma 70, Asitha Fernando 3/44, Lahiru Kumara 3/70) & 28/0 lead Sri Lanka 42 (Kamindu Mendis 13, Marco Jansen 7/13) by 177 runs.