They can also look to post other series-levelling wins after a Test win, like in 2018, when they won in Barbados after losing in Port of Spain. Or even at home, when after losing to Australia in the first Galle Test of 2022, they bounced back in the second.
“We have a very experienced unit and they have been in situations like this before,” Candambi said. “We have made comebacks before as well. I don’t think the players are mentally weak. We give them a lot of confidence,” he said.
“We started the same way in England this year. We came from behind and won the game. We have recognized that and we need to be at our best from day one.”
As in the England series, Sri Lanka’s top order struggled against the moving ball and scored a disastrous 42 not out in the first innings. Kandambi said that “the choices we made were wrong”, especially as the damp surface helped the bowlers a lot in the first innings.
However, since that match, Sri Lanka have taken every opportunity to train. He rocked up to Kingsmead for a long session on day five of the first Test, and will also train for two days before the Gkebarha Test, with Monday being his travel day.
“We talked, and the main thing here is to see the new ball. There is no point in being too aggressive, but we have to keep the loose balls away. Once we get through the first hour, it becomes a lot easier. Is .”
Sri Lanka also had a huge advantage in Durban, as South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder fractured his right hand while batting and was unable to bowl. And yet, having been bowled out for their lowest Test score inside 14 overs, Sri Lanka were in no position to capitalize on this advantage.
“It’s really disappointing – South Africa were one bowler short and we should have taken full advantage of that,” Candambi said. “Even with Marco Jensen we didn’t force him for the second spell. But the good thing is that we were much more organized in the second innings. If we had batted all day in the first innings, it would have been Could have been very different.”
The big positive for Sri Lanka is probably that, unlike South Africa, there are no serious injury concerns for their bowlers. He was scheduled to bowl more than 150 overs in the first three days of the Test, but will likely have five days to recover before the start of the second Test. Candambi said that, although privately, some bowlers had expressed displeasure at having to bowl again so soon after bowling out South Africa for 191, but at that point they simply got on with the job.
“Hats off to the bowlers. After an hour and a half they had to go out and bowl again. They weren’t bitter. They just accepted the challenge.”
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