The two other countries vying for a spot in the World Test Championship final are South Africa and Sri Lanka, in addition to India and Australia. To advance to the final on their own, both teams must win every Test they have left. However, Sri Lanka’s voyage was halted when they lost badly to South Africa in the just finished first Test.
At the Kingsmead in Durban, they suffered a crushing 233-run defeat at the hands of the Proteas. St George’s Park in Gqeberha will host the second and final Test of the series starting on December 5. Thilina Kandamby,
Sri Lanka’s batting coach, said the team is not mentally depressed and that a recovery is imminent ahead of the pivotal match.
“Our squad has a great deal of experience and has dealt with similar circumstances in the past. We have also made comebacks in the past. The players aren’t mentally depressed, in my opinion. We have a lot of faith in them. This year, we got off to a similar start in England. We won a game after coming back from behind. We’ve recognised that, and we must perform at our highest level right away,” Kandamby stated.
Being overly combative is pointless: Thilina Kandamby
In the first innings, Sri Lanka cleaned out the hosts for just 191, demonstrating their proficiency with the ball. As their aggressive purpose failed to produce any results and they were bowled for a record-low 42 in the first innings, their batsmanship became a cause for concern. In response, Kandamby stated that a similar aggressive strategy is not required for the second Test.
“We spoke, and getting rid of the new ball is crucial in this situation. We must put the loose balls away, but there’s no use in being overly combative. It’s much simpler after the first hour,” he continued.
India
