Boucher confident of probabilities against Sri Lanka
South African coach Tag Boucher believes his group is with the capacity of defeating Sri Lanka in the two-Test series which starts at SuperSport Park in Centurion over Saturday.
"We're in a rebuilding stage and we have some youngsters around but we're playing in circumstances that suit us better than the opposition," stated Boucher on Friday.
"If we reach our straps and execute the ideas we've set up I guess we'll give ourselves a very good chance to gain against them."
Sri Lanka have won their latest four Tests against South Africa, including a shock 2-0 series win on the tour two seasons ago.
"I didn't watch a whole lot of it," Boucher said of the 2018/19 series, "but it's something we can channel to your advantage. We can't simply just coast into this as a staff."
South Africa have a solid record at Centurion, which include wins in all four previous Assessments against Sri Lanka in the venue.
Boucher said there were "a number of niggles" involving fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Glenton Stuurman that would delay the final collection of a playing eleven.
Both came through interval training on Thursday without any apparent problems but Boucher said they might must be assessed soon after a night's rest.
Sri Lanka also have an injury concern, with Suranga Lakmal nursing a good hamstring stress. Lakmal was explained by coach Mickey Arthur previous in the week as "the leader of our attack".
Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne told journalists on Thursday that he believed his group could match South Africa in the quality of their pace bowling. "In the event that you seem at pace, we're about equal," he said.
"I think the batsmen could be the difference. Whoever gets the better batting area has a good potential for winning the series."
Both teams are staying at a country club near Pretoria within convenient travelling distance of the Test venues in Centurion and Johannesburg.
With a surge in Covid-19 infections in South Africa, both Testing will be played without spectators.
Neither side has played a red-ball international since January, when South Africa completed 3-1 losers on a home series against England while Sri Lanka were winning a two-match series 1-0 in Zimbabwe.
