Philander, Tahir go from zeroes to heroes

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Colombo

Before yesterday, Vernon Philander and Imran Tahir had had a forgettable test series in Sri Lanka. But, in the last 27 minutes of the second test at Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, they became heroes of SA’s return to the No. 1 ranking.

SA hung on with eight wickets down to draw the match and, on the back of their victory in the first test in Galle, clinch the series 1-0. That snatched back the No. 1 test ranking that the Aussies took by beating SA 2-1 in March.

It also made this SA side the first from the country to win a test series and a one-day rubber in Sri Lanka on the same tour. SA last claimed a test series here in 1993.

“Our goal was not to get back to No. 1,” SA captain Hashim Amla said. “It was to find a winning formula with a newish team. We’re certainly heading in that direction.

“This is a SA team who are very proud and passionate in the way we represent our country. We always want to go down fighting.”

In Galle, Philander and Tahir took just one wicket between them. Worse, Philander was convicted of ball-tampering. Things improved for the pigeon pair at SSC, where they added five wickets to SA’s cause.

But when Tahir joined Philander in the middle yesterday, the match was in the balance. SA were 148/8 and 8.1 more overs would be bowled before stumps were drawn. The Lankans, meanwhile, were pushing hard to win.

With Morne Morkel - he of the golden duck in the first innings - the lone ranger left in SA’s shed, Philander and Tahir would have to get the job done.

They did, dealing with the 49 deliveries they faced with calm aplomb and even the odd shot in anger.

Rain limited the morning session to seven overs. But, with four spinners in operation, the Lankans zipped through 47 overs in the lengthened second session. SA scored just 49 runs in that time and lost two wickets to Rangana Herath, who took 5/40.

Quinton de Kock went simply enough, edging onto his pad and to short leg. But AB de Villiers’ dismissal was a thing of wonder.

Perhaps bored with sniping past the outside edge all day, Herath aimed a delivery a touch straighter. It dipped below everything De Villiers tried to put in its path, pitched under his bat, and turned and spat into the stumps.

That brought Faf du Plessis to the crease to face a field boobytrapped with seven men around the bat. Umpire Richard Kettleborough sent Du Plessis on his way immediately when he wore Herath’s next delivery on his pads. But the ball was clearly going down the leg side, which was confirmed when Du Plessis reviewed successfully.

Sri Lanka would have been more competitive between lunch and tea had they not squandered both their reviews. That left them without the advantage of electronic umpiring for at least 22.2 overs.

Just how much that cost them was confirmed when Amla was hit high on the back pad by the same bowler’s arm ball. This time Kettleborough said not out, but the ball was headed for the top of leg stump.

Justice was done three overs later when Amla drove stiffly at Dilruwan Perera and was smartly taken at slip by Mahela Jayawardene. Amla’s 25 had taken him 10 minutes short of three hours and consumed 159 balls.

Jayawardene held another fine catch four overs after that off Herath to snuff out the stubborn Du Plessis’ innings.

Rain after tea tilted the game away from the Lankans, but the last hour was four balls old when JP Duminy pushed forward to Perera and was palpably leg-before having faced 65 balls for his three.

With that, Dale Steyn and Philander were closely surrounded by 10 fielders. But all the Lankans needed to take SA’s eighth wicket was Herath’s sharp turn, the edge of Steyn’s bat, and Niroshan Dickwella’s wicketkeeping gloves.

Two wickets stood. Twenty-seven minutes and 49 balls were left. Tahir stepped across the boundary. And the rest was history.