Gqeberha: Spinner Keshav Maharaj, on Monday, delivered a masterclass on the final morning at St George's Park, claiming his tenth Test five-wicket haul to propel South Africa to a commanding 109-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test.
Maharaj’s brilliance sealed a 2-0 series sweep and lifted South Africa to the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
Maharaj dismantled Sri Lanka’s lower order in a sensational collapse, taking four of the last five wickets as the visitors crumbled from 202 for 5 to 238 all out in just 69 minutes. His performance, which marked his fourth five-fer at this venue, proved decisive as Sri Lanka lost their final five wickets for a paltry 19 runs in 62 balls.
Resuming the day with Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva well-set in an 83-run stand, Sri Lanka appeared to be on course for a fightback on a placid pitch. However, Maharaj broke through in the seventh over of the morning, inducing an edge from Mendis that Aiden Markram snaffled with a low catch confirmed by the third umpire.
Kagiso Rabada then joined the charge, dismissing Dhananjaya with a precise outswinger that was edged to the wicketkeeper. With no recognised batsmen remaining, Maharaj tightened his grip. Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, and Lahiru Kumara all fell to aerial shots, with Marco Jansen and Ryan Rickelton completing simple catches to wrap up the innings.
The win leaves South Africa just one victory away from securing their place in next year’s WTC final. They can achieve that in their upcoming home series against Pakistan, with Tests scheduled for Boxing Day and New Year’s.
For Sri Lanka, the path to the final has become steeper. They must overcome Australia at home early next year and hope for favourable results elsewhere to keep their chances alive.
Maharaj’s standout performance underscored South Africa’s dominance in the series, reaffirming their credentials as top contenders in the World Test Championship race.
