Faf du Plessis described the Proteas’ Test series loss to Sri Lanka as “my biggest low as a player in the Proteas team.”
This after South Africa went down by eight wickets at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday to hand the visitors a historic first series victory on SA soil.
He said he was particularly disappointed with the batting, which sank to new depths when they were bowled out for 128 in the second innings.
“They have been better than us home and away,” admitted Du Plessis.
“We were outplayed in their backyard but there’s no excuse when Sri Lanka come here.”
NOT OUT: Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.
Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne hailed his happy, united team after the 2-0 whitewash.
Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis led Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win on just the third day of the second Test, playing exactly the sort of cricket that Karunaratne wanted.
“We told them, ‘play your normal game if you can hit over the fielder go for it’,” he said.
Fernando (75 not out) and Mendis (84 not out) attacked the South African bowlers from the start of play on Saturday, taking Sri Lanka from an overnight 60 for two to the victory target of 197 in just over two hours of uninhibited stroke play.
“When you play like that, South Africa are on the back foot,” said Karunaratne.
Appointed only as an “interim” captain, he said he had a simple message for his players when he took over at a time of apparent turmoil in Sri Lankan cricket.
HISTORIC: Sri Lanka celebrate 2-0 Test series win in Port Elizabeth. PHOTO: BACKPAGEPIX.
“When I started, I said to my boys, ‘whatever happens you have to keep smiling, keep enjoying. If you’re not enjoying, you don’t get to a hundred percent’.”
The tourists’ attitude clearly flummoxed the South Africans, especially on Saturday morning when the fearless batting of Fernando, playing in his second Test, and man of the match Mendis turned what had been expected to be a tense struggle to a cruise, with Du Plessis having to change his fields and frequently rotate bowlers who were unable to break through or stop the flow of runs.
“Our bowling line-up did a really good job, especially the youngsters,” he said after restricting the Proteas to 222 and 128.