CENTURION (South Africa): Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne said his team would stay positive despite first Test defeat against South Africa by an innings and 45 runs inside four days on Tuesday.
“We were in the driving seat after scoring nearly 400 runs,” said Karunaratne. “We were doing pretty well as a batting unit but we lost a couple of bowlers.”
Karunaratne bemoaned the injuries that derailed his bowling attack, with fast bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara both suffering groin injuries and being unable to bowl again.
Sri Lanka started the match well, making 396 after winning the toss, but an injury-depleted bowling attack conceded 621 runs when South Africa batted, with man-of-the-match Faf du Plessis hitting 199.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 180 in the second innings despite half-centuries from Kusal Perera (64) and debutant Wanindu Hasaranga (59).
Karunaratne said Rajitha and Kumara would not have time to recover before the second and final Test, which starts at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday.
But he expected key bowler Suranga Lakmal to have recovered from the hamstring injury which kept him out of the first Test, while fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera was waiting in the wings.
“We have another game to go and I will try to keep them together. We need to keep a positive mindset. Suranga and Dushmantha can do a good job for us,” he said.
