Stage set for riveting series decider (Preview)

Venue: Newlands, Cape Town

Start Time: 08:30 GMT (14:00 IST)

What was a momentous year for Test cricket had an almost perfect ending. The last match of 2011 saw Sri Lanka snap a prolonged win drought in the five-day format with a superb win at Durban to draw level. While South Africa coasted to an innings victory at Centurion and were expected to steamroll the visitors owing to their supremely talented pace attack. However, things unfolded a little differently and the hunter became the hunted.

Given the off-field controversies that have surrounded Sri Lanka in the recent past, it was no mean achievement to beat South Africa at home, in conditions that have troubled even best of the subcontinental teams. No wonder, it was the first ever Test victory for Sri Lanka on South African soil. Having been unable to clinch a win ever since the retirement of bowling great Muttiah Murlitharan in July 2010, Durban would have tasted sweet, especially for skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan, regularly under fire for the team’s below-par performance.

It is no secret that Sri Lanka’s failure to perform as a unit has contributed to their gradual slide. However, everything fell in place during the Boxing Day Test. In the batting department, Thilan Samaraweera silenced his critics by posting a patient century and then Kumar Sangakkara came to the party with a classy 108 in the second innings. Incidentally, only Hashan Tillakaratne is the other Sri Lankan to score a century in South Africa. If the batsmen gave them the advantage, it was the bowling of Chanaka Welegedara and Rangana Herath that made it count.

For South Africa, it was an outing they would want to forget sooner than later. An unexplained loss of form after the series opener has become a norm with them. Be it against India, Australia or now Sri Lanka, the pattern is hard to miss. They start a Test- series with bang but lose the initiative as well as the lead in the subsequent games. Probably, that explains the Proteas failure to win a home series since 2008.

Despite the painful loss, there are a few positives taken from the Durban game. Merchant de Lange’s fabulous bowling figures on debut- 7 for 81 and Hashim Amla’s assured batting display amidst all the carnage. That being said, the youngster is likely to sit out of the series decider after Vernon Philander was declared fit.

Another thing that should cheer up the hosts is venue for the last match. At Newlands, they scripted a famous win against Australia two months ago and it would be interesting to see if the surface is similar to one on which the Aussies were rolled over for 47 and bowlers ended up taking 23 wickets on a single day. That should give them some confidence to turn it around.

All said and done, it would be a test of character for both the sides. Whether Sri Lanka are good enough to win back to back away matches or South Africa have fire in their belly to perform in a high-stakes outing.

South Africa squad: Graeme Smith (Capt), AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher (wk), Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Vernon Philander, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Sri Lanka squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva (wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dimuth Karunaratne, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Kanishka Alvitigala, Dhammika Prasad.