Rex Clementine in Port Elizabeth

The picturesque coastal city of Port Elizabeth, nestled in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, holds bittersweet memories for Sri Lanka. This cricketing haven, with its slow-paced pitches, has often played to Sri Lanka’s strengths, earning them a respectable record. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. This is the ground where Sri Lanka’s World Cup dreams in 2003 turned into a nightmare against Australia. Chasing a modest 213 in the semi-final, the hopes of an entire nation unraveled when Aravinda de Silva departed, and Kumar Sangakkara bore the brunt of fan fury for running out the seasoned maestro.

Now, two decades later, Sri Lanka return to Port Elizabeth with hopes of rewriting their story. But the plot thickens: much to their surprise, the pitch is sporting a green top. Whether the grass will be trimmed remains to be seen, but if left as is, the tourists may have to bench left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and roll the dice with seam-bowling all-rounder Milan Ratnayake, who showed promise during his England debut earlier this year.

Another conundrum looms large over the team sheet. Veteran Angelo Mathews finds himself under the microscope. His blade has gone cold this year, producing just a solitary century in 2024 and that too against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Oshada Fernando, fresh from a successful stint with the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team in South Africa, is knocking loudly on the selectors’ door. It’s a tough call, and the think tank must decide whether experience or fresh legs will better serve their cause.

South Africa, meanwhile, are grappling with their own injury woes. All-rounder Wiaan Mulder and pacer Gerald Coetzee are sidelined, making way for Dane Paterson and Ryan Rickelton. The latter, a left-handed batter, leaves the Proteas a bowler short – a chink in their armour Sri Lanka will be eager to exploit.

For the visitors, this Test carries weighty implications. A victory keeps their World Test Championship (WTC) hopes alive, with two home games against Australia still in their arsenal. A defeat, however, would be the final nail in the coffin, dashing their WTC final aspirations.

“We need a strong first innings total—anything over 250 keeps us in the game,” said Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva at the pre-match presser. “We’ve had candid discussions about our shortcomings and are eager to right the ship.”

South African captain Temba Bavuma, however, remained unfazed. “We’re edging closer to the WTC final. After the New Zealand series, no one gave us a shot, but here we are. We’re happy with our progress and are taking it one step at a time,” he said.

Sri Lanka can draw inspiration from their England tour earlier this year. They stumbled out of the blocks but found their stride by the time the series finale rolled around, clinching a morale-boosting victory at The Oval. A similar comeback here could spark fresh life into their campaign.

Sri Lanka (Probable XI):

Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews or Oshada Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (Captain), Kusal Mendis (Wicketkeeper), Prabath Jayasuriya or Milan Ratnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando.

South Africa:

Temba Bavuma

(Captain), David Bedingham, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickleton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne (Wicketkeeper), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada.