The wicket here is expected to have more pace than the one at Newlands and Ranatunga will be tempted to have Vaas in his firing line-up.
Vaas who has been given injections to ease the pain on his right ankle is willing and eager to play, but Ranatunga will be praying that he will not break down.
Eleven unnamed
However the tour selectors have delayed naming the eleven and will do so after giving Vaas another strenuous workout on the morning of the match. Vaas is Sri Lanka's strike bowler and if he is declared unfit, it will be a big blow as the Lankans set out on a victory charge that does not look impossible.
According to Ranatunga who led the team admirably at Newlands, the Lankans will again field a three-man pace strike force. He is happy that Nuwan Zoysa is fit and rarin' to go. 'If Zoysa is on track, he will compensate for Vaas,' said the captain.
Zoysa a left-armer with the like of former Aussie paceman, Bruce Ried, has the ability to get the ball to climb from a good length. With his high arm action - he is 6 feet 5 inches tall he will be delivering from a height of nearly 7 feet and on a bouncy wicket should be devastating. Zoysa, immediately on arrival was taken to the nets and under the watchful eyes of the tour selectors, did his thing much to their satisfaction. He will be in starting lineup. The Lankan pace trio will be Vaas or Pushpakumara, Nuwan Zoysa and Pramodaya Wickremasinghe.
Murali - the main attack
Once again office Muralitharan will have to carry the attack. He is a captain's dream. Ever willing to spin even till his fingers bleed, Muralitharan will once again tease the Protea batsmen to their destruction. Sanath Jayasuriya supported Muralitharan in stalling the run-chase in the second innings by the home batsman. He will also have a lot of bowling to do.
Wickremasinghe has more than repaid the confidence placed on him by the selectors. He bowled beautifully and his batting was a lesson. He came very close to notching the fastest 50 in Test cricket when he launched his assault on Donald and Pollock.
Sri Lanka's experienced batsmen of the calibre of Mahanama and Tillekeratne must make it their business to come good. Mahanama has still to come to terms with the moving ball. He is in for a good score in this game. Tillekeratne stuck it out gamely and seemed to be slowly coming into form in the second knock until a wretched delivery from Donald had him in front. He too is in for a big score.
Fielding lacked concentration
The fielding was not what it should have been. The Lankans have it in them to excel in this department. What they need to do is concentrate and watch the ball into their hands.
As for the South Africans' indications are that they will keep out 'frog in the blender' left-arm spinner Paul Adams and slot in allrounder Lance Klusner. Klusner will join Donald, Pollock and Kallis in firing pace at the Lankans. The Lankan batsmen relish facing pace, than a spin.
There was a lot of uncalled-for sledging on the field by a few of the South Africans. The Sri Lankans are not going to take it. They are ready to give as much as they get.
The Sri Lankans who will play positively and probe for victory, which they are convinced they can achieve, will be looking for consistent umpiring. The Lankans although they lost the first Test won the hearts of all South Africans with their positive cricket rarely seen by a visiting team here.
Pakistani Javed Akthar will be the neutral umpire. The scene is set for another absorbing contest.