'Unknown' Kallis prompts demise of Sri Lanka
Charlie Austin - 8 November 2002
South African Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour may not know who he is but Sri
Lanka's batsmen need no introduction after the world's leading all-rounder,
Jacques Kallis, ripped through their middle order on the opening day of the
Castle Lager/MTN Test series at Wanderers on Friday.
Kallis would have had every right to feel aggrieved by the comments of
Balfour, who has been quoted in the South Africa media of saying: "I don't
go to Newlands to watch Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis, I go to watch Paul
Adams and Makahaya Ntini…who is Jacques Kallis anyway?"
But the comments, although they clearly disappointed captain Shaun Pollock,
had no adverse effect upon Kallis, who claimed three wickets in six balls
shortly before the tea interval, snatching the initiative away from the Sri
Lankans who were just starting to prosper.
Sanath Jayasuriya's side were eventually bowled out for 192, a total that
severely dents their hopes of overcoming a disastrous record outside of the
sub-continent and winning their first ever series against South Africa.
Sri Lanka's day did not improve in the field either, as South Africa finished
with a solid opening partnership between Gary Kirsten, who passed
6000 Test runs, and Graeme Smith that has so far yielded 51 runs.
Mahela Jaywardene (39) and Sanath Jayasuriya (32) had added 51 runs after
the loss of three top order wickets for 86, threatening to lay the
foundations for the kind of score that the tourists would have been looking
for having decided to bat first after winning the toss.
But Kallis, who had only just recovered from a hamstring injury that had
threatened his participation in this game, broke through with an outswinger
that caught the outside edge of Jayawardene's defensive bat.
In his next over he surprised Jayasuriya with a well-directed short delivery
that the Sri Lankan captain, batting in his new position of number five,
fended off into the safe hands of Graeme Smith at third slip.
Three balls later debutante Hasantha Fernando (0) betrayed his experience,
unwisely attempting an ambitious hook. Gary Kirsten clung onto a good catch
running back from short leg.
When Chaminda Vaas guided another catch into the slips in the last over
before tea, Sri Lanka had lost four wickets in the space of 17 deliveries,
collapsing from the relative comfort of 137 for three to 141 for seven.
After the break Hashan Tillakaratne and the tail eked out 51 valuable runs,
ten of which were scored by a smiling Muttiah Muralitharan who swung his
first delivery from Pollock for six and then drilled Easterns all-rounder
Andrew Hall straight down the ground before holing out at long leg.
For the Sri Lankans it was a thoroughly disappointing day. All the batsmen
had come into the Test having spent time at the crease during the warm-up
games and were desperate to show that they could perform on the fast-bowler
friendly surfaces expected in South Africa.
In the event, Jayasuriya may have rued his decision to bat first. Pollock
claimed that he would have bowled first, understandable given the fact that
his selectors had opted for a five-pronged pace attack in the morning after
seeing the green-tinged wicket.
Indeed, his seamers did extract considerable seam movement during the
morning, regularly beating the bat. But of the first three Sri Lankan
wickets to fall, all the batsmen contributed to their downfall.
Russel Arnold (0) pushed hard at a short delivery from Makhaya Ntini that he
would with hindsight have preferred to leave alone. Kumar Sangakkara (26)
was guilty of hanging on the back foot when he should have come forward and
Marvan Atapattu (34) wasted a lot of hard work when he drove loosely against
the probing Pollock.
Earlier in the day, Hershcelle Gibbs was forced out of the final XI minutes
before the toss after sustaining a back injury during the team warm-up. The
team management were forced to send an emergency SOS to Martin van
Jaarsveld, who was practicing with his domestic club in Pretoria at the
time.
The South African selectors had gambled with their original selection,
leaving out left-arm spinner Claude Henderson, their only slow bowling
option. They made the surprise decision to include the inform Hall ahead of
Mornantau Hayward.
Sri Lanka included left-arm seamer Perera for the first time since he was
reported for having a suspect action during the Lord's Test earlier this
year. They also gave a first cap to all-rounder Hasantha Fernando.
© CricInfo
