South Africa heads into the second Test at the Wanderers with something going for them after a dominant win of 233 runs against Sri Lanka in Durban on Wednesday.
The victory saw Marco Jansen’s career-best 11 wickets lift the Proteas to second place on the WTC standings.
The side would look to continue their dominance at home with pace-friendly Wanderers expected to favor the attack of Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, and Gerald Coetzee.
The skipper Temba Bavuma, who has been rejuvenated by a century will anchor the batting lineup alongside a revitalized middle order.
Proteas’ victory in the first Test exposed Sri Lanka’s frailties, especially an inability to cope with short-pitched bowling when they crumbled for 42 in the first innings.
In the second innings, the visitors showed grit through Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva, but Proteas bowlers overwhelmed them.
South Africa squad
Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wian Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, and Kyle Verreynne,
Also read: Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdeh finally reveals the name of their baby boy
South Africa Playing 11 vs Sri Lanka- 2nd Test, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2024
Openers: Aiden Markram, Tony De Zorzi
Aiden Markram and Tony de Zorzi should be opening for South Africa in the second Test against Sri Lanka, given that they have opened together in the Durban game. Markram showed a lot of character with 47 off 81 balls in the first innings, hitting four boundaries and a six.
De Zorzi may not have made much of an impact with 17 off 32 in the second innings, but he remained calm as Proteas built into a strong position. The pair will look to lay a good foundation in Gqeberha, which will be important in setting the tone in conditions that are likely to favor seam movement early on.
Middle-order batsmen and allrounders: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Dane Paterson
Proteas’ middle order for the second Test will be led by their captain, Temba Bavuma, who is in good nick after having scored a century in Durban. David Bedingham and Tristan Stubbs are a mix of experience and flair, while wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne adds stability with the bat.
Allrounder Dane Paterson provides depth, capable of scoring crucial runs lower down the order. This lineup will provide a balance between grit and aggression, thereby countering Sri Lanka’s likely spin-heavy attack and the conditions here at Gqeberha.
Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka
South Africa’s bowling for the second Test against India can be Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Kwena Maphaka, and Keshav Maharaj.
Rabada will spearhead the South African lineup with five wickets in two innings in Durban. Jansen also sparkled the most as well as match-winning figures of 11/86.
Proteas’ teenage prodigy Kwena Maphaka is likely to be handed his debut as Gerarld Coetzee has been injured and is ruled out of the series.
This combination will look to capitalize on Sri Lanka’s batting weaknesses and build on their dominant performance in the series opener.