South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI preview, likely XIs: South Africa comfortable, but have batting worries to sort

Two ODIs, two utterly one-sided victories. South Africa have well and truly left behind their historic loss in the Test series, and are now, on the face of it, well-prepared for the 2019 World Cup.

However, gloss over the result and look closely at the details, and it’s not all rosy for South Africa. Quinton de Kock fell just six short of a century and Faf du Plessis made his consecutive score of at least a half-century, but even as Sri Lanka were subjected to a massive 113-run defeat, the rest of their batsmen failed to do much.

The highest score apart from the two was the 29 scored by Reeza Hendricks. South Africa were bundled out for 251, with six players making only single-digit scores. To put it in simpler terms, it’s the home bowlers who have carried them to victories, with a little help from de Kock and du Plessis.

They will be desperate to see more steel and application from their middle order ahead of the World Cup, and it’s an opportunity for the likes of Hendricks, Wiaan Mulder and Rassie van der Dussen to impress.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have to ensure they do enough to push the home side harder. Both ODIs so far have been lost by comfortable margins, and while their bowlers have mostly troubled South Africa, the batting has been all over the place.

If they lose the next ODI, they’d have lost another series, although they’ll be more keen to shore up the line-up in time for the World Cup.

Head to head

South Africa’s victory at the Centurion was their 22nd at home against Sri Lanka, and 40th in 73 matches overall – Sri Lanka, in short, have historically been dominated by South Africa.

The visitors have slid to a 2-0 deficit after defeat in the second ODI, and if they’re not careful, they will risk repeating what happened in 2017 when they last oured these parts – they were swept 5-0.

Venue details

Over the years, South Africa have played 37 ODIs at Kingsmead, Durban. They have won 21 of those matches and lost 11. There was a tied match as well, and coincidentally, that was all the way back in 2003, when Marvan Atapattu’s 124 and an all-round show by Aravinda de Silva (73 runs and 2/36) helped the visitors tie the game by the DL Method in a rain-affected match.

That was just one of two ODIs at the venue against Sri Lanka. The other was in 2017, when the home side coasted handsomely to a 121-run win.

Scores have been on the lower side over the last six ODI innings in Durban – just the one 300-plus score – and that trend is expected to continue, especially given the fact that there is a high likelihood of rain.

Players to watch

Imran Tahir (South Africa): The South Africa bowlers are all over Sri Lanka this series, and none more so than Tahir, who recently announced his intentions to retire after the World Cup. The leg-spinner has 5/65 in 19 overs in the last two ODIs, and Sri Lanka will be wary of the veteran.

Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka): Kusal Mendis has rescued Sri Lanka from difficult situations in the past, multiple times, and so far in the two matches, he’s made the most runs for Sri Lanka with 84. Sri Lanka will expect, and rely on, more from him.

Likely XIs

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Faf du Plessis (c), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir

Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Lasith Malinga (c), Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando

Prediction

Another comfortable win for South Africa.