Maharaj hoping to learn from Sri Lanka’s finest

Standard Bank Proteas left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, hopes to gain insight on succeeding in spin-friendly conditions from Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath in the ongoing Test series. This is Maharaj’s first tour of the sub-continent since making his debut in 2016, and the first opportunity for the prodigy to test his skills in conducive conditions. Herath is one of the leading Test spinners in the world with a tally of 423 wickets in 91 matches, and is renowned for his accuracy and endurance at the age of 40. Maharaj went wicketless in the first innings in Galle, but shook off the cobwebs in the second innings to finish with figures of 4/58. He says the turn-around in his second-innings performance was due to more consistency in his lengths, and newfound rhythm after missing the tour warm-up match due to illness. Tabraiz Shamsi has returned back to Sri Lanka after leaving the tour for family reasons, and will be available for selection for the must-win match. The 28-year old Maharaj says he has enjoyed being part of a two-man spin attack, and says the pair complement each other well in their different roles.
Maharaj insists the belief and motivation remains high in the camp, despite the slow start to the series.