Proteas: Faf hails ‘super-human’ Perera knock

Durban
– When Sri Lanka found themselves 110/5 at Kingsmead on Saturday, still 194 runs away from what seemed a
near-impossible target, Kusal
Perera was 25*.

At that stage, the hard-hitting
left-hander could not have imagined that he would finish with a career-best 153* innings of a
lifetime to guide Sri Lanka to one of the most famous wins of their Test
existence. 

It was a knock that left the
Proteas gobsmacked, and one that has ensured the hosts cannot win this Test
series with only Port Elizabeth to come. 

Perera faced exactly 200 balls,
batted for over five hours, hit 12 fours and 5 sixes. 

He was fearless throughout,
unfazed by South Africa’s relentless short bowling. 

When No 11 Vishwa Fernando – a
proper Test No 11 – came to the wicket at 226/9,
Sri Lanka still needed 78 runs to
win. 

It was simply not possible, until
it was. 

Perera scored 67 of those
required runs in a last-wicket partnership that will be remembered for a long,
long time both in South Africa and abroad. 

In that stand, Perera faced 68 balls while Fernando’s 6* off 27 was as important as anything. 

The Proteas went short, full, put
the field out, brought it in, backed their seamers and used spin, but still could
not stop an innings that was simply meant to be. 

“There are obviously quite a
lot of emotions with disappointment being right at the top,” a stunned Du
Plessis said in his post-match press conference.

“I’m trying to think what we
as a team could have done better, but an innings like that is one that will be
spoken about for years to come.

“He took the game on and he
takes a lot of risks. Some days it pays off and some days it doesn’t. To
consistently hit the bowlers that we have over the fielders for six … all the
risks paid off.

“He just manoeuvred
beautifully with the whole tail and managed to get the strike.”

The nature of the loss will be
concerning to South African fans given that there is a World Cup around the
corner.

From a position where they should
never have lost on Saturday, the Proteas somehow found a way and that is
something that is all too familiar when it comes to World Cups. 

Du Plessis, however, insists that
the defeat had nothing to do with his side’s inability to deliver in
high-pressure situations.

“I don’t see that. The
pressure of Test cricket is very different,” he said.

“You’re bowling to one
player the whole time and some days you just have to say, ‘well played’.

“It wasn’t through our
mistakes where we dropped catches. It was purely a super-human effort with the
bat and when that happens in Test, T20 or ODI cricket then that’s got nothing
to do with us and pressure.”

The second Test in Port Elizabeth
gets underway on Thursday.