Before the weather cleared up just before lunch, Sri Lanka had enough time to hit four times.
Before his seamers dismissed four South Africa batters, Sri Lanka's skipper inserted the opposition, making for an almost ideal first Test morning under the gloomy Durban sky. However, rain came just before midday on the first day, making only 20.4 overs practicable. Until play was canceled at about 3 p.m., it remained in place over Kingsmead. With their ability to whizz the ball around on a slightly damp pitch, Vishwa and Asitha Fernando had spearheaded Sri Lanka's efforts, regularly beating and occasionally collecting the outside edges of South African bats.
The left-arm fast Vishwa was particularly well-behaved and found both away movement off the deck and a considerable inswing in the air from over the wicket. Shortly after Asitha had Aiden Markram held in the cordon, he removed Tony de Zorzi, who was caught by a diving Kamindu Mendis at second slip. Both bowlers struck in their second over of the day. Together, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs scored 32 runs, many of which came off the outside edge through deep third, as they clawed their way to the drinks break.
But Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka's fastest bowler, made up for a badly managed first over by making Stubbs deflect one to third slip. Shortly after, he slipped a ball under David Bedingham's defenses to send his off-stump cartwheeling, the most sensational dismissal of a short day's play. An even brighter morning for Sri Lanka would have been lost due to two errors. At second slip, Dimuth Karunaratne had a low chance to hold Bavuma for one, but he missed it. Bavuma survived 47 balls and ended the day at 28. Vishwa's bowling was the source of that.
The session was cut short by four minutes when Bavuma edged a bouncer he was trying to hook just before the rain came. But it turned out that Kumara had gone a little too far. Bavuma was headed toward the changing room when the umpires summoned him back. He was twenty at the time. However, Bavuma was perhaps the most conservative of the South African hitters. As Sri Lanka's opening bowlers hammered away in the channel, protecting the line of his stumps beautifully, he did not appear especially motivated to feel bat on ball, despite the fact that his outside edge was frequently beaten. He was joined by Kyle Verreyne, a batsman and wicketkeeper, when the rain began.
Bavuma, meanwhile, was perhaps the most cautious of the South African hitters. As Sri Lanka's opening bowlers hammered away in the channel, superbly shielding the line of his stumps, he did not appear especially motivated to feel bat on ball, despite the fact that his outside edge was frequently smashed. He was joined by Kyle Verreyne, a batsman and wicketkeeper, when the rain began. Even though Kumara claimed two wickets, 35 runs were scored in his four overs. Asitha and Vishwa both went for less than three an over. Better weather is predicted for Thursday. Because they won the toss, Sri Lanka will believe they done justice to the favorable bowling conditions they were given.
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