Domination the goal as South Africa eye 2-0

CENTURION: After their shock loss in the Test series, South Africa will be desperate to become a formidable home unit again with another win over Sri Lanka in their second One-day International (ODI) on Wednesday (today).One match into the ODI series, the euphoria of the Test triumph is over. South Africa are back in business, dominating at home. Imran Tahir snuffed out batsmen with googlies and drifters. Faf du Plessis made a flawless century. And Quinton de Kock was belligerent at the top. These are trademark signs when things are going well for the home team.Tahir has since announced that he will retire from ODIs after the ICC World Cup 2019.Sri Lanka’s top order failed in the first one-day. Well begun is half done, and now, more than ever, ahead of a World Cup, the top orders of teams across the world will be under scrutiny.Sri Lanka’s has got the experience in Upul Tharanga and the belligerence in Niroshan Dickwella but their middle order batsmen made runs without converting them into anything substantial, and the result was a middling total of 231 and 18 unused balls in Johannesburg.It gave the bowlers very little to defend. Even so, they underwhelmed, as South Africa wheeled away in the chase, completing it with 67 balls remaining.The downside from South Africa’s perspective was that their middle order went untested. Barring du Plessis and David Miller, it lacks experience, and now is the time, before the World Cup begins, for those players to be thrown into the deep end.South Africa managed quite brilliantly without Dale Steyn in their attack in the first ODI, with debutant Anrich Nortje able to rein in Sri Lanka. Steyn’s return, if and when it happens, will only add more teeth to an already potent attack. Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Tahir already pose enough problems for Sri Lanka to deal with.Sri Lanka were far from their best in all departments on Sunday, squandering a position of strength with the bat when they slipped from 195 for 4 to 231 all out, and then being unable to build on the early dismissal of Reeza Hendricks when mounting a defence of their total.There are also a fair number of new faces in Sri Lanka’s squad, but much like South Africa, it’s the veterans who need to lead from the front. If Upul Tharanga can contribute runs at the top, if Thisara Perera can provide a little oomph to the lower-middle order, and if Lasith Malinga can strike early with the ball, Sri Lanka have more than enough young talent to fill in in between, break a four-match losing streak and draw level in Centurion.

from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2IRrjvZ