Kusal Perera guided Sri Lanka to a sensational one-wicket win on the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday.
Perera hit a career-best 153 not-out as he and Vishwa Fernando add on an unbeaten 78 for the last-wicket partnership that enabled Sri Lanka to secure their second win in Test cricket in 🍷South Africa.
Victory once seemed unlikely for the visitors as their ninth wicket went down at a score of 226 while chasing a target o🧸f 304.
But the 28-year-old Perera successfully farmed the strike, with South African captain Faf du Plessis persisting with defensive fields for the in-form left-handed batsman, while Fernando𒆙 fa♏ced only 27 balls during the 96-ball partnership.
The Proteas side took the second new ball with the Sri Lankan total at 263 but still kept most of their fielders were 💙on the boundary for Pereඣra, who hit sixes off both Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada before slashing the latter to third man for a winning boundary.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
KJP just scored what could be the greatest innings ever in an overseas run chase by a Sri Lankan batsm💫an. Brings back memories of the brilliant hundred b🎐y against in 2006 at The P Sara
— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2)
What a beauty !!!! One of the best inings under presure. Showed intelligents🌞 and mental strength KJP and very p♒roud of you. ��👊
— Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay)
We Won … We Won !!!!
— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69)
Kusal Perera !!!! WOW …. One of the greatest Test innings of all time …..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan)
Take a bow . What a outstanding victory for . Congratulations . What a performance by Lasith Abℱuldeniya a💜nd Vishwa Fernando
— Upul Tharanga (@upultharanga44)
Conceding first innings lead. ♒Chasing over 300 in the fourth inn🌠ings. Sri Lanka has just scripted one of the most memorable Test match victories of modern times. Well played 😊🙌
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
Congrats big time to & loads to Kusal Perera for fabulous his♔toric victory over there in the ‘Rainbow Nation’ 👏💥😎 😄
— Danny Morrison (@SteelyDan66)
Wat an inning !👏👏 Excellent knock under pressure. Great support by vishwa at the end and Embul by ball in the 2nd inning. Way to go and team!!
Thrilled!!!!!!!!😊👏— Danushka Gunathilaka (@danushka_70)
Amazing batting display by Was lovely to watch him bat.
Well done Guys! Keep up the good work👏🏻— Chaminda Vaas (@chaminda_vaas)
Wow just amazing!! Well done the boys on this r✅are test win away from home👏🏼 Absolutely brilliant!! Love connection with Durban continues for us🙏🏽 kjp, ambul, vishwa out♐standing!
— Farveez Maharoof (@farveezmaharoof)
Things I love a♒bout small town cricket leagues #13 nobody else was watching the test match in Durban, and I don’t have to dodge too many tough questions on the SL win! Well played
— Jonty Rhodes (@JontyRhodes8)
Great knock
Weldone Sri Lanka— Thisara perera (@PereraThisara)
Has to be one of the all time great innings that from Kusal Perera! Great for him, great for Test cricket! Wow! What a result!
👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏🙏— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar)
That was an absolutely incredible chase by Sri Lanka! 78 run 10th wicket partnership… Test cricket at it’s best. 🇱🇰
— Callum Ferguson (@calferguson12)
Congratulations boys. What a game of cricket. Ful credit goes to . It was real team work boys.what way to win a game in South Africꦿan soil. Wel done boys. Congrats to everyone. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
— Dhammika Prasad (@imDhammika)
Sensational from Kusal Perera 🔥🔥🔥
— Isa Guha (@isaguha)
One of🐬 the greatest test matches in the recꦕent past. Made for great viewing too.. Well done to both the teams👏
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99)
Co🏅ngratulations Siri lanka.and well played Kushal Perer♈a. This is beauty of cricket test cricket
— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788)
//twitter.com/liaml4893/status/1ꦺ096759974343200768
Well played Kusal Perera and 👏🏻👏🏻that was a knock for the ages. Gripping test cricket. Gosh I hope test cricket continues t🌊o be this good all year as we’ve seen in the last three weeks.
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi)
Meanwhile an absolute historic win for SL,Perera ends🐲 with an unbeaten 153,a record 10th wicket stand in a successful chase,they were 226/9 chasing 304! Incredible win..
— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial)
WHAT A WIN! KUSAL PERERA YOU LEGEND WHAT A GAME.
South Africa, oh South Africa.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS)
Man of the match : Kusal Perera
SCOREBOARD–>— betvisa69.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
