2019 Sri Lanka Tour of South Africa First Test @ Kingsmead,Durban Feb 13 -16,2019 - Kusal Perera's fourth innings score of 153 not out secure a one-wicket victory against South Africa Saturday Feb 16,2019

No one gave Sri Lanka a chance at the start of the match.They were battered and bruised by England at home and were smashed by New Zealand and Australia Down Under.

Sri Lanka on Day 4 Saturday Feb 16,2019 pulled off a famous victory in Durban from the jaws of certain defeat to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

For a team that has been riddled by injuries and poor performances recently, Sri Lanka upset the apple cart by claiming a win that for most of their innings looked as improbable as improbable gets.

The win came on the back of a stunning 78-run last wicket stand between Kusal Janith Perera and Vishwa Fernando 06*(27 Balls)

 The Sri Lankan victory over South Africa by 1 wicket in the first Test @ Kingsmead Durban goes right up there in the list of greatest Test matches played in the century. Trent Bridge (2005), Mohali (2010), Headingley (2017) and Durban (2019).
Scorecard
South Africa  235 and 259
Sri Lanka       191 and 304/9(Target 304 Runs)
Match Result - Sri Lanka won by 1 wicket
MOM - Kusal Perera(SL)for his 153*(200 Balls 4x12 and 6x5)
Series Result - Sri Lanka lead the 2-Match Test Series 1-0


South Africa's batting average as a team in Tests since the beginning of 2018 is 25.91. With AB de Villiers in the side, it went up to 28.28 but without him, it sits at a petty 22.98 with just one batsman - Quinton de Kock - averaging over 40. Having de Villiers around seemed to calm the other batsmen's nerves, with as many as three batsmen aside from de Villiers himself - Temba Bavuma (68), Dean Elgar (45) and Aiden Markram (44.28) - averaging over 40 post 2018.

In eight out of 25 innings since 2018, South Africa have found themselves three or more down for less than 50 runs. That is nearly once in three innings in which they suffer a top-order collapse. Twice in the Pakistan series - at Centurion (3/43) and Johannesburg (3/45) in the second innings - and in the first innings against Sri Lanka (3/17), South Africa lost their top order early. The tail has been no better with the average of batsmen at positions 8-11 a poor 11.8. The bottom three combined have been facing less than 20 balls in an innings on an average.