5 take-aways from the Sri Lanka vs South Africa Test series 

#4. Two big positives for South Africa

Theunis de Bruyn plays a shot during his century in the second Test against Sri Lanka

The two streaks of silver among the dark clouds for South Africa was the emergence of Theunis de Bruyn as a future star and the consolidation of Keshav Maharaj’s positing as a reliable spinner for the Proteas.

The game of cricket is so uncertain that one can never predict the future with complete certainty, but the hundred scored by De Bruyn suggests he has great quality and could well be the batsmen to strengthen their middle order in the absence of de Villiers.

What makes de Bruyn’s innings special was the fact that he trusted his defence and played measured shots. It was this quality that helped Kevin Petersen when he played his epic knock against Indian on a raging turner at the Wankhede stadium in 2012. This suggests maturity and strength of character that bodes well for his future.

Maharaj, on the other hand, has been showing his potential and in this series, proved that he can also act as a strike bowler in friendly conditions rather than just being a support act to the seamers.

The reason his figures looked bad in the second innings of the last Test was due to him having no support and bowling continuously without rest for long time. Otherwise he had a good series.