Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera reacts after bgetting his 100 runs on day 4 of the first Test match between South Africa and Sri Lanka held at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on February 16, 2019. (Photo by Anesh DEBIKY / AFP)
Kusal Perera played one of the great Test knock in modern memory to consign the Proteas to a shock one-wicket loss in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday.
The 28-year-old left-hander was simply irrepressible, smashing five sixes and 12 boundaries in a magnificent, career-best unbeaten 153, spearheading an unlikely win.
It’s Sri Lanka’s second victory in three Tests at the ground and continued South Africa’s mental block of playing there.
They haven’t won a Test in KwaZulu-Natal since 2008.
To add to the achievement, he only had last man Visha Fernando for company after a burst of three wickets from Keshav Maharaj had seemingly stumped the islanders, who were reduced to 226/9 chasing 304.
But Kusal farmed the strike brilliantly, sensing South Africa’s subtle apathy throughout the game.
Indeed, Faf du Plessis and co seemed bereft of ideas once Kusal and Dhananjaya de Silva (48) added 94 for the sixth wicket to give the Sri Lankans hope.
They had to make due without Vernon Philander, who had pulled up with a hamstring injury, but surely had enough firepower anyway to cope.
Instead, they were complacent and punished, even though the missed a golden opportunity for a win with a missed run out of Fernando.
It also put starkly into focus the Proteas’ decision to play five bowlers at the expense of an extra batsman, a decision that drew criticism in some quarters for signalling overconfidence.
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