Sri Lanka throw another spinner into the mix for ODI series against SA

If South Africa think they know all about Sri Lanka’s spinners after the Test series — except how to play them — they should think again.

The Lankans named their squad on Tuesday for the one-day series that starts on Sunday‚ and it includes the uncapped Prabath Jayasuriya — a 26-year-old left-arm spinner who has claimed 36 wickets at 21.25 in his 25 list A games.

That Jayasuriya is indeed a quality bowler seems confirmed by his 10 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket efforts in 47 first-class matches.

Jayasuriya joins Akila Dananjaya‚ officially an off-spinner but not averse to tossing up leg-breaks and googlies‚ and Lakshan Sandakan‚ the left-arm wrist spinner‚ in the squad.

Dananjaya and Sandakan played in only one of the two Tests‚ both of which Sri Lanka won handsomely‚ but they took nine wickets between them and will doubtless be a handful in the ODIs.

About the best thing about the home side’s squad‚ from South Africa’s perspective‚ is that it does not feature slow left-armer Rangana Herath or off-spinner Dilruwan Perera.

They combined to take 28 wickets in the Tests‚ or 70% of all those on offer in the Test series.

Quite how the South Africans are going to recover from being dismissed for 126‚ 73‚ 124 and 290 in the Tests in time to give of their best in the ODIs will take some answering.

“Whenever a team tours the subcontinent‚ whether it’s Australia or England or us‚ there’s always a question mark on how you play spin‚” Faf du Plessis told reporters in Colombo on Monday after Sri Lanka won the second Test by 199 runs inside four days.

“I don’t think we play spin badly but if you compare yourself to the subcontinent batters then they’re obviously a step above us in that regard.

“When it comes to playing on green pitches and seaming pitches we feel we can adapt better.

“It has to be a case of looking at how you can get your own home conditions to try and get exposed to these kinds of conditions a little more often when you’re playing first-class cricket.

“That’s where the challenge lies for the South Africas and the Englands and the Australias of the world.”

South Africa won’t be able to fix what’s wrong by Sunday‚ when the first ODI will be played in Dambulla.

But there’s no better time to begin that process than now.