SA vs SL 2nd Test: St George's Park Gqeberha Pitch Report

Debashis Sarangi

St George's Park, Gqeberha [Source: @CricSubhayan/X]St George's Park, Gqeberha [Source: @CricSubhayan/X]

On Thursday, South Africa will lock horns with Sri Lanka in the second Test of the ongoing two-match series on home soil. Led by Temba Bavuma, South Africa had a magnificent start to the series, swatting aside the Lankans by a whopping margin of 233 runs. 

Skipper Bavuma led from the front, playing two consecutive impactful knocks, while Marco Jansen oozed his class with the ball, scalping eleven wickets in the Test match. On the other hand, Dinesh Chandimal was the only shining light for the visitors, amassing a gritty 83-run knock in the second innings. 

So, moving on to this match, Sri Lanka will expect their key players- particularly Pathum Nissanka and Angelo Matthews to bring up their A-game. Meanwhile, the Proteas would be keen to extend their winning streak and hand the Lankans a humiliating clean sweep. 

As the stage is set for a riveting battle, let's see how the surface at St George's Park in Gqeberha will behave throughout the contest. 

St George's Park Gqeberha Records And Stats In Tests

Criterion
Data
Matches Played32
Matches won batting 1st14
Matches won bowling 1st13
Average runs in 1st innings312
Average runs in 2nd innings235
Average runs in 3rd innings213
Average runs in 4th innings156


St George's Park Gqeberha Pitch Report: Is It Batting Or Bowling Friendly?

The surface at St George's Park in Gqeberha will offer significant lateral movement to the fast bowlers on all five days. So, the seamers will make the ball talk throughout the match, while the batters might have to toil hard to score runs. The track will also offer spongy bounce, which the pacers are expected to exploit in this match. 

The pitch will deteriorate and bring uneven bounce into play as the game progresses. Also, the aforementioned stats indicate that the pitch becomes tougher for the batters with time. Considering these facts, the toss-winning team will likely bat first. 

Players To Watch Out For At St George's Park Gqeberha

Kagiso Rabada

  • Kagiso Rabada has performed admirably at this venue, scalping 25 wickets in five Tests at a superb average of 20.08. So, considering his fabulous record, we reckon Rabada will be a key player for South Africa in this match. 

Dinesh Chandimal

  • Dinesh Chandimal showcased his class and elegance in the first Test, slamming a fighting knock of 83 runs in the second innings. Given that he is in solid touch, the veteran cricketer could once again emerge as Sri Lanka's wrecker-in-chief with the bat.

Tristan Stubbs

  • South Africa's swashbuckling batter Tristan Stubbs has been prolific in Tests this year. The young cricketer slammed a scintillating ton in the last game and would like to replicate a similar success in this game.