South Africa vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 1 Highlights: Sri Lanka In Command After Rain-Hit Day

Well, after that marathon session, the break seems very tiny, isn't it? The South Africans are back on the field, in a huddle. Skipper Temba Bavuma is giving a long pep talk. They could and should have got more but that is in the past. Can their bowlers make 191 seem like 291? Out walk the Sri Lankan openers - Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka.  Kagiso Rabada has the brand new cherry in his hand. Pretty sure, Marco Jansen will be his opening partner. But the big question is - Will Wiaan Mulder be able to bowl? If no, will his bowling be missed? Because if he doesn't, it means extra workload on the shoulders of Rabada, Jansen, Coetzee and Maharaj. All set to go now. Rabada to Nissanka, first up.

... DAY 2, SESSION 2 ...

Dissecting more into Pakistan stuff, there is a lot of talk going about the hosting of next year's Champions Trophy. An ODI tournament which will be played between teams ranked in the top 8. Pakistan are scheduled to host the same but with India refusing to travel to Pakistan, the tournament could take a hit. Would the entire tournament be shifted to another country? Or could we have a hybrid model, where a few matches are held in Pakistan while the others, including the knockouts, are held outside Pakistan? What happens if India and Pakistan clash? Where will it be played? Just too many questions. Let the boards and ICC only decide. We would rather contend ourselves to just covering the tournament!

How are the neighbours doing? Let's take a peek to check what is happening in Zimbabwe. The 3rd ODI between Zimbabwe and Pakistan is scheduled today and Pakistan have reached 229/3 in the 44th over, riding on a century by newcomer Kamran Ghulam and 50 by Abdullah Shafique. The pitch is definitely on the slower side but there are no demons in it as such. The hosts have found it difficult to pick wickets in Bulawayo and Pakistan would be aiming to get as close to 300 as possible from here on.

Thanks to this doubly extended session, the second session could start as late as 1040 GMT. South Africa would be disappointed with their batting effort but one feels that this is not that easy a batting pitch as it might seem. The good thing for the home side is, the weather has not affected the pitch. There is plenty of juice on offer and if the Saffas come out and keep Sri Lanka under 200-250, we could have a one-inning shootout. Please stay tuned.

Let's not take anything away from Sri Lanka. Whether batting was difficult, or South Africa left a few runs out there - the Lankan bowlers deserved their wickets. The seamers were on the money, keeping the length between, good and short, which generated extra bounce and got the balls moving off the seam. The Proteas' technical flaws might have been exposed but that can come only when the bowlers are consistently persistent. Asitha Fernando has been a revelation for a few months now, while he was well supported by the other Fernando, Vishwa. Lahiru Kumara then came and burst through with his pace. This trio picked up 8 wickets, with Asitha and Kumara picking up 3 apiece. The only surprise might have been that of Prabath Jayasuriya, who managed to get 2 wickets in the span of 5 balls, which really confirms the lack of application from the lower middle order.

Perfectionists will be perfectionists, aye? As per the great legend Hashim Amla on air, South Africa have left a few runs out there. He bluntly says that anything under 300 is not enough on this surface and on dissecting the African batting, he reckons that even though the bowling was good, it was not unplayable. As per him, the wickets fell due to technical deficiencies, as the batters lacked patience and did not know where their off stump was. He reckons that it was all about batters spending time in the middle and barring Bavuma and Rabada to some extent, no one showed that intent. Well, that's the case throughout the world, isn't it?

Champions stand up when the chips are usually down. That's exactly how Temba Bavuma played. He was fidgety and struggling for a major part on Day 1 but this morning, he found his rhythm. He readily took the burden of batting with the tail and formed useful partnerships with Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj ​​​​and Kagiso Rabada, before falling for a valiant 70. Yes, he was given a couple of lives on Wednesday, but that is not his problem. His gritty knock has given the home side a competitive total to fight for and if the pitch stays as it is, it will be a treat to watch Rabada and Jansen bowl on this deck. After Bavuma's 70, the next best was Maharaj's 24 and only two others could reach double digits. That's how difficult batting was. Or is.

Like Wednesday, Sri Lanka were right on the money on Thursday morning, blowing through the lower middle order of South Africa. Lahiru Kumara removed Kyle Verreynne early and then Prabath Jayasuriya got into his work, removing two wickets quickly. At that stage, the home side was in grave danger of getting bowled out under 150, with the score reading 117/7. But the lower order rallied around its skipper and managed to add a valuable 74 runs for the last 3 wickets.

That concludes a doubly extended session this morning. First, the session was extended by 15 minutes, which got extended by a further quarter of an hour, meaning that we roughly had a session of 150 minutes. Sri Lanka bowled 29 overs, picked up all the remaining 6 wickets while South Africa scored 111 runs. It was primarily Sri Lanka's session for two-thirds of it, but that last half an hour would have made the Protea bowlers smile, because they now have something to bowl at.

OUT! CAUGHT! The short ball ploy finally works and Sri Lanka wrap the Protea inning for 191 runs! Asitha Fernando digs it into the surface, on middle and leg, Kagiso Rabada is quick to read the length and rocks back to pull but is cramped for room. He goes through the shot and gets a decent connection behind square on the leg side. Dinesh Chandimal from deep backward square leg keeps his eyes on the ball and is quick to move across the turf on his right. The ball comes to him at great pace and flatter trajectory but he does exceptionally well to take a very sharp catch to his right. End of a useful stand of 26 as well.

On a good length, around off, Wiaan Mulder goes back and works it through mid-wicket for a run.

Lucky again! This is frustrating for Sri Lanka. Asitha comes charging in and bangs the ball into the deck. Rabada takes his eyes off and ducks, with his bat hanging in the air like a periscope, The ball bounces, rises, takes the top edge and flies in the air, but does not carry to deep square leg. A single taken and South Africa touch 190.

FOUR! Lucky runs, valuable nevertheless for South Africa! A short ball, outside off, from around the wicket, Kagiso Rabada looks to pull. But the ball bounces extra, takes the top edge and flies over the keeper, to the deep third fence!

Full and on off and middle, Wiaan Mulder turns it to square leg. Not an experiment which worked. 15 from the over!

SIX! Oh hello, Wiaan Mulder has cleared the fence with a beautiful strike! And if there were any concerns about his finger earlier, this shot just put them to rest! This is pitching fuller and on middle and off, Wiaan Mulder steps out, gets to the pitch of the ball and with a beautiful backlift tonks it straight back over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Tossed up, full and on off, Wiaan Mulder drives it back to the bowler.

A touch short, around middle, Kagiso punches it down to long on for a single.

Very full, around off, Rabada nudges it towards short mid-wicket.

FOUR! Does not start well, does the skipper. A short ball, down the leg side, Kagiso Rabada stays inside the line, goes back and nudges it through fine leg. Square leg tries to chase it down but is late.