A young, inexperienced Sri Lanka side, on Saturday, achieved what no Asian team did before, becoming the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa after Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis propelled the visitors to an eight-wicket win in the second Test at Port Elizabeth to clinch a historic 2-0 series triumph.
Fernando was unbeaten on 75 off 106 balls, while Mendis scored 84 not out off 110 deliveries as Sri Lanka chased down the victory target of 197 by lunch.
Dimuth Karunaratne & Co. showed some character and recorded a clinical win especially after victory in the Durban Test.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Sri Lanka’s historic win:
Congratulations !!! Great team work to achieve something special. proud of the boys.. Well done and the team. 👍👊👊👊
— Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay)
Congratulations again for making history for Sri Lanka and Asia with this win.
— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2)
Well done Sri Lanka!!! Huge respect! 🙏🏻💪🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano)
Congratulations to Sri Lanka on a fantastic Test series win against SA in SA. This must be one of their greatest moments in their Test history. My friend will be a really happy man
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281)
Wow, Sri Lanka! Hats off! Going where no Asian team has gone before, where better Sri Lankan teams haven't. This is big! Very big.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)
Bravo Boys ! Congratulations to Captain Dimuth and the team , thank you for keeping the promise and Sri Lanka Cricket Alive ! First Asian team to win a series against SA in South Africa ,well done
— Harin Fernando (@fernandoharin)
Incredible effort to win the series 0-2. This is huge for Sri Lankan and definitely world cricket. Test cricket has turned on its head in the last few months n its brilliant
— Deep Dasgupta (@DeepDasgupta7)
http://twitter.com/imDhammika/status/1099248302997024768
Overwhelmed by the positivity coming out from the neighbours back in the Sub continent !!! 😁😁😁Awesome
— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69)
Truly remarkable achievement by 👏👏👏
— Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh)
Bravo Sri Lanka! Series victory to cherish forever 👏👏👏👏
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah)
Really happy for the boys, fantastic team effort. This series win among the Top achievements of Sri Lanka Cricket. Well done & team, Coaching staff.
— Rangana Herath (@HerathRSL)
Arguably the best day ever in the history of Asian test Cricket n surely the best day ever for .
Weldone n team!
You made the entire nation proud🇱🇰🇱🇰— Danushka Gunathilaka (@danushka_70)
A remarkable test and series victory for , history making achievement. Who would’ve thought after their recent performances in Australia & NZ.
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket)
Ayubowan Sri Lanka. So many seniors missing. Yet are the first Asian team to win a series in South Africa. One of the toughest places to win. Impossible really is nothing. My guy will be dancing in the streets as will many in Sri Lanka👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi)
Worth having a listen purely for some fabulous insights into from . An incredible series win. India the 1st subcontinent team to win in Aus and SL, the first in SA. Test cricket is alive and kicking
— Isa Guha (@isaguha)
– Six weeks ago India became the first Asian side to win a Test series in Australia.
– Today Sri Lanka became the first Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa.
With this, at least one of the Asian sides have now won a Test series in every Test-playing country!— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman)
Great win for Sri Lanka 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽…
Great batting display by and Oshada
Well played boys made us proud
It’s a great Test series win for Sri Lanka— Thisara perera (@PereraThisara)
Kusal Perera is the Player of the Series for his 153* in Durban :
— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
