Kusal Perera's epic 153* leads Sri Lanka to record-breaking victory
Sri Lanka lost their ninth wicket while still 78 off their target. The left-hand batsman scored 67 of them all by himself
13/02Result
1st Test, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Durban, Feb 13-16 2019
-
![South Africa]( "South Africa")
235 & 259 -
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
191 & 304/9 (85.3 ov)
Player of the Match
13/02Result
1st Test, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa at Durban, Feb 13-16 2019
-
![South Africa]( "South Africa")
235 & 259 -
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
191 & 304/9 (85.3 ov)
Player of the Match
Day 4
Perera and Fernando, the highest last-wicket stand in a successful chase
Meanwhile, the curse of Durban strikes South Africa again. They've now lost seven out of nine Tests there
Du Plessis on Durban drama: 'This is what Test cricket should be'
The South Africa captain heaped praise on Kusal Perera, saying he was "just too good" for them
'It's the best Test I've played for Sri Lanka' - Kusal Perera after match-winning 153*
Both Sri Lanka captain Karunaratne and South Africa captain du Plessis shower the Durban hero with effusive praise
Kusal Perera bats with body, heart and soul in innings of a lifetime
Against one of Test cricket's most fearsome attacks on home soil, Sri Lanka's No. 5 stood up for his embattled team
Day 3
Du Plessis, bowlers give South Africa vice-like grip
Half-centuries from du Plessis and de Kock swelled South Africa's lead before they lost 5 for 8 to set Sri Lanka 304
Lasith Embuldeniya fills empty apartment
He has occupied one of the several vacancies in the Sri Lanka XI - that of a match-winning spinner - but can he find a way past a system that has ruined such young talents before?
Day 2
Steyn's for-four helps South Africa extend advantage
Sri Lanka chip away in second innings, but their batting collapse on 13-wicket day could prove costly
Keshav Maharaj's progress stalls as South Africa settle for pace prowess
Success in familiar conditions is all very well, but World Test Championship hopes may rest on spin attack
I'm not on 430-odd wickets, I'm on 20 - Dale Steyn feels he's starting all over again
Fast bowler is having fun doing what he loves best after prolonged period of injury enforced absence
Day 1
Inexperienced Sri Lankan attack lands early punches
Vishwa Fernando impresses with four wickets, but South Africa much happier than they were at 17 for 3
Sri Lanka's green seamers 'caught us off guard', admits Quinton de Kock
Fernando and Rajitha claimed 7 for 130 on day one in Durban, despite only having seven Tests between them
Vishwa Fernando's success despite the system, not because of it
The left-arm pacer had to bowl 17 overs on the first day, having bowled less than six overs in an innings in the first-class season in Sri Lanka
DRS 15-second rule in spotlight as Sri Lanka miss out on a wicket
Umpire Dar turned down their appeal for lbw on the basis that they had taken too long to ask for it. But the commentators suggested that only 13 seconds had elapsed
Others
No, par score is not what you have been thinking it is all this while
It is not the average score at a venue. It's not the scoring rate. And it's not the perfect winning score
Which are the most bowler-friendly Test venues? And which ones have favoured batsmen most heavily?
Using the Pitch Quality Index, we measure the true nature of a Test pitch
Why Kusal Perera's 153* is the best Test innings ever
Graham Gooch's 154 against West Indies at Headingley has had to make way for Perera's masterpiece in Durban
'Wanted to compete every hour, every session' - Karunaratne
At different stages during the Durban Test, Sri Lanka were on the mat, but they found ways to stand up and fight
Du Plessis wants luxury of four pacers and spin at home
South Africa captain faced with a tough call over Dale Steyn's inclusion
Karunaratne confident Sri Lanka can 'find a way' to score runs in South Africa
The newly installed captain wants his team to capitalise on their previous experiences of touring South Africa
Sri Lanka have more than just pace to fret over
South Africa are playing at their least-favourite Test venue at home, but it may not matter against a team in crisis
