GALLE, Aug 8: South Africa captain Graeme Smith believes his team will take a psychological advantage over Sri Lanka into this week's second Test after escaping with a draw in the series opener on Sunday.

Sri Lanka had been widely expected to go 1-0 up in the two-match series by bowling on a crumbling fifth-day pitch, but South Africa's top order defied the home spinners, batting out the day to finish on 203 for three.

"Two months ago, people must have been questioning whether the match was going to last five days, or whether we would be able to bat out the final day," Smith told reporters.

"This is a huge, positive step for us," he added. "We played some serious cricket and go to Colombo with more confidence than Sri Lanka. "We have a got a few things we can improve on but, at the moment, they (Sri Lanka) are asking more questions than we are. I am really proud, though, of the way the guys have performed."

Smith led from the front on the last day, shrugging aside ill-health to make his team's top score of 74. "I suffered a bit today," he said. "I lost five kilos in the first session, but I am getting stronger. Hopefully by the next Test match I will be alright," he said.

Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu gave credit to the discipline shown by South Africa's batsmen. "I thought they worked to a plan and they achieved that," he said.

However, Atapattu was surprised the pitch did not offer more assistance to his bowlers on the final day. "We did not see anything jumping out of the foot marks, which is unusual in Galle," he said.

"People thought we would go one-nil up here but it didn't happen. We now have to go to Colombo and do our best there." Off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, prevented by the International Cricket Council from bowling his 'doosra' (his leg break) delivery, was unusually ineffective on the last-day pitch.

The world's most prolific wicket-taker toiled away for 20 overs, returning figures of one for 37. -Reuters

SRI LANKAN SQUAD