Proteas bat themselves into a corner

Sri Lanka deserve to win the second Test match. If South Africa lose the Test, they deserve to because I have found their approach to the match strange for a side so high on confidence.

I could not come to terms with the way they batted in their first innings.

South Africa played as if they were trying to save the Test match instead of win the series.

To see some of the finest batsmen in the world pat back half volley after half volley, over after over, was perplexing on a pitch which had no demons in it.

Perhaps the comments of coach Russell Domingo best described their mindset when he said he would have done with 50 fewer runs if they had batted for another three or four hours. Why, after a convincing first Test match win, and the worst you can do is draw the series, go into your shell and play like men fighting for your lives and reputations beats me.

A big first innings would have decided the series already and surely this was the option to take rather than now under the most difficult circumstances and conditions. And to crown it all, the Proteas have already won the ODI series.

The question is, can South Africa either chase down the runs or survive the day?

Judging by their present mindset, they will definitely try to bat out the day. They will draw a lot of confidence from having done it before against Australia and India, but for how much longer can they keep doing it?

This is a different pitch which has deteriorated, and South Africa find themselves against a very accurate Sri Lankan spin attack.

The rain may have the final say but as a batsman you can't count on it because if that is what you are hoping for to win a series, then you may as well concede it.