South Africa and Sri Lanka both have the opportunity to put an end to unwanted records when they clash in the second Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Monday.
The hosts have not won a home series since they beat Bangladesh 2-0 in 2008 while they have lost three consecutive tests at Kingsmead.Sri Lanka have suffered a wretched run of form in Test cricket and have not won in 15 matches with their last victory coming against India in Galle in July 2010 in what was to be off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's last Test match.
The Proteas will take a lot of confidence into the second Test after securing a thumping innings and 81-run victory in the first Test and the home side will be anxious to nail down the series before the third and final Test in Cape Town. South Africa batsman Ashwell Prince said that complacency may have been the reason for the Proteas' recent inability to win home series.
"We've had a few opportunities in the last few series to put them away and for some reason or other we haven't been able to do that. Perhaps there has been a bit of complacency when we have been in good positions," Prince said. South Africa's vice-captain AB de Villiers said that the Proteas poor record at Kingsmead is something that the team are well aware of and will be doing utmost to rectify.
{{/usCountry}}"We've had a few opportunities in the last few series to put them away and for some reason or other we haven't been able to do that. Perhaps there has been a bit of complacency when we have been in good positions," Prince said. South Africa's vice-captain AB de Villiers said that the Proteas poor record at Kingsmead is something that the team are well aware of and will be doing utmost to rectify.
{{/usCountry}}Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara felt that his team could draw confidence from South Africa's poor record at Kingsmead. "Losing, like winning, can become a habit. For us to go into this Test match, knowing that South Africa doesn't have a great record here, is good but it us up to us to deliver ," said Sangakkara. For Sri Lanka wicketkeeper/batsman Dinesh Chandimal will make his debut in Durban in place of Causal Silva.