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 wic🤪ket went down at a score of 226 while chasing a target of 304.
But the 28-year-old Perera successfull✤y farmed the strike, with South African captain Faf du Plessis persisting with defensive fields for the in-form lef✨t-handed batsman, while Fernando faced 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 Perera, 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 inn🔴ings ever in an overseas run chase by a Sri Lankan batsman. Brings back memories of the brilliant hundred by against in 2006 at The P Sara
— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2)
What a beauty !!!! One of the best inings under presure. Showed intelܫligents and mental strength KJP and very 𒅌proud 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 performꦰance by Lasith Abuldeniya and Vishwa 🐻Fernando
— Upul Tharanga (@upultharanga44)
Conceding first innings lead. Chasing🐬 over 300 in the fourth innings. Sri Lanka has just scripted one of the most memorable Test ma🌃tch victories of modern times. Well played 😊🙌
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
ꦕCongrats big time to & loads to Kusal Perera for fabulous historic victory ov🐬er 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 rare test win away from home👏🏼 Absolutely bꦅrilliant!! Love connection with Durban continues for us🙏🏽 kjp, ambul, vishwa outstanding!
— Farveez Maharoof (@farveezmaharoof)
Things I love about small town cricket leagues #13 nobody else was watching the tes♏t match in Durban, and I doꦺn’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 African 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 rece🌠nt past. Made for great viewing too.. Well done t🤪o both the teams👏
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99)
Congratulations Siri lanka.and well played Kushal Perera. This is beauty of cricket test crꦚicket
— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788)
//twitter.com/liaml4893/sဣtatus/1096759974343200768
Well played Kusal Perera and 👏🏻👏🏻that was a knock for the ages. Gripping test cricket. Gosh I hope test cricket continues to be this good all y✅ear as we’ve seen in the last three weeks.
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi)
Meanwh🐬ile 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–>— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
