It took South Africa only 83 balls to bowl Sri Lanka out for 42 – their lowest-ever Test score – as Marco Jansen bagged stunning figures of 7/13. It paved the way for South Africa to end with an overall lead of 281 on a day where 19 wickets fell in total.

The seaming track in Durban proved to be a nightmare and Sri Lanka had no answers as batter after batter either nicked off or were bowled with none looking secure in defence. While Kagiso Rabada started the carnage having Dimuth Karunaratne nicking to first slip, Jansen proved to be the wrecker-in-chief. He had Pathum Nissanka pushing out at a delivery angled across and edging while Dinesh Chandimal was cleaned up with a delivery that seamed in. Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva were dismissed trying to force the pace while the tail was left as clueless as the top-order. In between Gerald Coetzee chipped in with the dismissals of Kamindu and Kusal Mendis leaving Sri Lanka in complete disarray.

As they were bowled out for the lowest total against South Africa, Jansen’s 41-ball spell had yielded the third-best figures by a South African pacer at home. The lead of 149 was the highest for South Africa in games where they had been bowled out for less than 200. On a low-scoring, bowler-friendly surface the lead was monumental. Only a while before that, as they scraped their way to 191 on the back of Temba Bavuma’s 70, South Africa were firmly in the backseat.

While more than two sessions were washed out on the opening day, the second day saw Sri Lanka continue to trouble South Africa under bright sunshine. Their pacers had skittled through the top-order under cloudy conditions on the first day, and it continued even when the sun was out. There was enough on the pitch to keep pacers Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando in their opening spells.

The former added to this two wickets on the first day by trapping Kyle Verreynne plumb in front early on the second day. Kumara also struck Wiaan Mulder on the glove soon after and forced him off the field, which was later revealed to be a fractured finger.

Now reduced to 85/6 effectively in Mulder’s absence, South Africa were in dire need of a partnership and someone to give company to the resolute Temba Bavuma. The skipper found his man in Marco Jansen for a while as the duo held fort with a heavy focus on defence. But Sri Lanka responded to this with the introduction of spin in the form of Prabath Jayasuriya. the tall left-arm spinner attacked the stumps consistently and it paid dividends when he eventually beat Jansen’s defence to catch him plumb in front. South Africa’s review too went in vain and even as Bavuma neared a half-century, he lost another partner.

Gerald Coetzee did not show the defensive temperament that Jansen had showed and an attempted big hit against Jayasuriya was miscued to deepmidwicket where Kamindu Mendis took a good low catch diving forward. But Keshav Maharaj, who came in next, took some pressure off Bavuma by lofting Jayasuriya down the ground twice and then hitting him inside out over cover to gather some useful boundaries. Bavuma, who had been stuck on 49 through this period, trickled over to a hard-fought fifty, his 22nd in Tests.

But just as Maharaj was looking comfortable, Sri Lanka changed the plan around and attacked him with pace from both ends. That move worked wonders as soon enough Maharaj chipped Vishwa Fernando to mid off leaving South Africa precariously poised. Bavuma went on the offensive soon after driving Kumara through cover and straight down the ground and even upper-cutting him for a six. Mulder had been deemed available if necessary, and he was required to bat as Bavuma eventually skied a big hit off Asitha Fernando to be dismissed for 70. Mulder hung in as the last wicket pair added 26 before Rabada pulled one down to fine leg, as South Africa finished with 191.

But after getting the big lead, their second innings progressed on a stronger note. Markram started off confidently, and added 47 for the opening stand with De Zorzi. But Jayasuriya ended the stand having De Zorzi caught at deepmidwicket to bag his 100th Test wicket. The injured Mulder made a surprise appearance at No. 3 and added 30 with Markram before the latter was cleaned up from the round-the-wicket angle by Vishwa Fernando three short of a half-century. Mulder himself didn’t last too long thereafter being trapped in the front by Jayasuriya. However, Bavuma and Stubbs dug in to extend the lead to 281 by Stumps on an eventful second day.

Brief Scores:
South Africa 191 (Temba Bavuma 70; Asitha Fernando 3-44, Lahiru Kumara 3-70) & 132/3 (Aiden Markram 47, Temba Bavuma 24*; Prabath Jayasuriya 2-48) lead Sri Lanka 42 (Kamindu Mendis 13; Marco Jansen 7-13) by 281 runs.