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Sri Lanka's missing octopus

Faf du Plessis is congratulated on his stunning catch to remove Niroshan Dickwella Gallo Images/Getty Images

The absent octopus

Sri Lanka missed Angelo Mathews' batting in the first ODI, but in the second, they missed his freakish slip catching off the spinners as well. Dhananjaya de Silva stood at slip to the bowling of Lakshan Sandakan, but could not hold on to the low chance off Faf du Plessis' edge in the 23rd over. The batsman would go on to hit 43 further runs, and importantly, forged a 117-run stand for the fifth wicket with David Miller.

The warning shots

David Miller was 39 off 52 balls at one stage, giving the impression that he was playing an uncharacteristically low-octane innings, but if Sri Lanka thought they could keep him leashed through the course of the match, they were disabused of that notion in the 36th over. Miller lined up Dhananjaya's offspin and cracked him for two long, straight sixes off successive balls, to move his strike rate into the 90s again. That was just a precursor to the destruction he'd go on to unleash at the close if the innings.

The repeat fruit plucking

Du Plessis had taken the catch of the Wanderers Test - and perhaps the whole tour - when he sprang high at second slip to snatch an edge from Mathews, one-handed, high above his head. The reprise at Kingsmead today was not quite as good, but was nevertheless spectacular. Du Plessis was at cover when Niroshan Dickwella backed away and attempted to carve Wayne Parnell over the offside. The ball seemed to be passing beyond du Plessis' reach, but taking one step to the left he leapt and stretched out his right hand again to pluck the ball from the air like it was a low-hanging mango.

The pursuit

In the absence of a competitive chase of South Africa's 307, AB de Villiers perhaps produced the best pursuit of the match, when he hunted down Upul Tharanga's mis-hit in the 10th over. Tearing back from mid-off, de Villiers momentarily took his eyes off the ball in order to make the ground required to intercept the ball. When it descended over his right shoulder, he was still running at full speed, but was able to comfortably reach it, completing the take with a controlled tumble.