SL VS RSA - 1st Test, South Africa tour of Sri Lanka, 2018

It's a foolproof script that's transcended territories in Asia - call non-subcontinental sides on dustbowls and thrash them outright. The SSC shouldn't be as bad, but the demons have been nailed sure enough into the South African heads. But it's been a fun, quick Test this for the time it lasted. And on behalf of the team - Vineet Anantharaman, Pradeep Krishnamurthy and our scorer Sreenivas, until we meet next, ta ta!!

Suranga Lakmal has spoken in Sinhalese, something none of us understand, unfortunately (as yet). Roshen Abhisinghaye translates a bit, "He says captaincy isn't an easy job and thanks his coaches and the support staff, hails the spinners as he looks forward to the SSC."

Faf du Plessis: We have only got ourselves to blame. After getting a team down to 170/7, you need to get them all-out for 220, and 280 was a let off. But it was a great innings from Karunaratne, he showed our batters how you need to go about in putting big scores on the board. It was as if he batted on a different surface, given that nobody else went past 50. As much as you practice, you don't get quality spinners in the nets. It is obviously tough in these conditions and it is something we need to work with. We were surprised by the wetness of the outfield with the rain, and because of that reverse swing wasn't much of a factor in this Test and that took a lot out of our fast bowling attack.

Dimuth Karunaratne: I got injured, worked really hard with the 'A' team and got my form back. When I was left out of the national side I had to work hard, went to Bangladesh and got my place back. I always wanted to play positive and backed my strengths - which is what I do on turning tracks. After the knock I got to know of my record through social media of becoming only the second Sri Lankan to get a century in my 50th Test.

Here come the 'official' presentations.

Dilruwan Perera: Every spinner likes to bowl in Galle. I can get a lot of drift and turn here. Everytime I bowl with Rangana it helps me and it is very easy. South Africa have struggled in the past to spin and Rangana held up one end and I got wickets from the other. We have a lot of young spinners and they will step up (once Rangana retires).

Six wickets for the impressive Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath was his usual good self and Lakshan Sandakan applied the finishing touches - so much that Sri Lanka didn't even need their lone pacer to bowl. Without AB de Villiers, this South African batting unit looks pretty brittle. It was a tough examination by spin and they failed at it miserably. Plenty of thinking to do for Ottis Gibson & co. as we wait for the presentations to begin.

South Africa have been simply shocking with the bat and they have lost all 10 wickets inside a session. We saw Afghanistan and Bangladesh doing so in recent times, but not many would have added the Proteas into the mix. Lack of application and an inability to play spin - South Africa have to search answers for such probing questions within the next 5 days. It all started with Dean Elgar running down the pitch and getting stumped, Amla and Bavuma were trapped into offering catches to leg-slip, Faf du Plessis edged one to first slip, Markram followed in his opening partner's ways, De Kock tried to hit out and failed, the lower order then had too much to do.

Sandakan to Shamsi, out Lbw!! Loud shout for LBW and Sri Lanka want a review. It's a fair delivery, looks like there's no bat on that, where's the impact though? Might turn out to be umpire's call, no bat and UltraEdge confirms it. Three Reds and it's all over. Sri Lanka have demolished South Africa by 278 runs. This is also South Africa's lowest ever 4th innings score, their lowest since readmission in 1991-92. Celebrations in the middle as the hosts go 1-0 up in the 2-Test series. Coming to the ball, this was tossed up on middle, turned around the right-hander, opened him up like a can of worms and rapped him on the pads, the impact was in front of off-stump, would have been crashing into the off-stump. Shamsi lbw b Sandakan 2(21)

Sandakan to Shamsi, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!

Sandakan to Shamsi, no run, the leg-break from Sandakan, Shamsi was nearl;y turned inside out, just about gets his bat down in time and defends

Sandakan to Shamsi, no run, turn for Sandakan, but it turns way down the leg-side, left alone

Sandakan to Philander, 1 run, fraction short and on the stumps, worked away past mid-wicket for a single

Sandakan to Philander, no run, tossed up on the stumps, defended back at the bowler

Lakshan Sandakan, left-arm chinaman, comes into the attack

First change with Sandakan replacing Herath, a slip, leg slip and a FSL in place

Dilruwan Perera to Shamsi, no run, tossed up on Shamsi's pads, turned towards backward short leg

Five men round the bat

Dilruwan Perera to Shamsi, no run, Dilruwan tosses one just outside off, pushed into the vacant point region and they decide against a single

back to round the wicket