South Africa Vs Bangladesh T20 International Played at Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Score Card
South Africa 148/4 ( F du Plessis 79* , RR Rossouw 31 * JP Duminy 18 , Arafat Sunny 2/19) beat Bangladesh 98 All Out ( Shakib Al Hasan 26 ,Liton Das 22, Mushfiqur Rahim 17,JP Duminy 2/11,D Weiss 2/12 and K Rabada 2/28) by 52 Runs
Match Report:
A combination poorly planned spineless batting and immaculate batting of South African Captain Faf du Plessis on a difficult wicket busted the balloon of Bangladesh in the first T20 international. While tiger lost by a huge 52 runs at Dhaka Tiger Cabs recorded a superb win 8 wickets against protean juniors at Durban in the first ODI. Batting first after winning the toss mainly due to grinding and grafting of du Plessis South Africa reached a par score of 148/4 against which Bangladesh huffed and puffed managed to get to 98 all out, their lowest score in T20 international at home against any opposition. The clueless unplanned airy-fairy stoke play which used to feature Bangladesh batting in the past painfully returned. The signs of recent confident batting were found sadly missing. Bangladesh went down 0-1 in the two match series.
It would not be out of place to mention that while Bangladesh seniors looked pretty ordinary against South Africa at Dhaka the juniors were symbol of brilliance against South African juniors at Durban in the first ODI. Chasing a target of 185 to win tiger cabs reached the target of losing only two wickets recording a massive win of 8 wickets in the first ODI of the Under 19 tour.
Admittedly, the wicket was difficult, slow long with odd balls keeping low, gripping and turning. But professionals need to adjust and play according to situation and condition. Bangladesh could a leaf out of South African captain du Plessis grinding and grafting still with injured finger and in the heat and humidity. His was an innings of character, class and quality. Bangladeshi known to be masters of this kind of wicket could not break his concentration and he played the match defining unbeaten knock of 79 in a score of 148/4. He and Duminy initially wretched control after the shocking first over exist of master blaster ABD and not too later Q de Kock. In the death, he combined well with RR Rossouw in an enterprising unbroken 58 runs 5th wicket partnership.
We won’t say Bangladesh bowled poorly or Mashrafe did not use his resources smartly but Bangladesh was little bit nervous in the field with few fielding lapses. Nasir fielded superbly talking a great catch and executing few spectacular saves. But it was resolute du Plessis which did not let Bangladesh capitalize a situation when two leading stroke makers de Villiers and David Miller could the removed before they could even cause any damage.
Sunny, Nasir, Shakib bowled well. South Africans did not take any chances against Mustafiz until the last ball of the match.
Bangladesh bowling unit was perfect – the horses for the courses. Mashrafe also very smartly used them starting with all spin attacks. The first over dismissal of explosive de Villiers was a huge bonus. de Kock also did not last long. At 31/2 Bangladesh could expect better things to come. But determined skipper du Plessis still recovering from his finger injury sustained in IPL 2015 pairing with another IPL success JP Duminy displayed discipline. They showed Bangladeshi batsmen how to play on Bangladeshi wicket rotating the strikes with deft deflections, running quick through playing with soft hands and waiting for the loose ball to punish. The 46 runs third wicket partnership at a critical stage was the defining moment of the match. Bangladesh could manage to remove Duminy before the partnership could turn monster thanks to a brilliant catch by running cheetah Nasir in the deep. Shakib removed David (devil) Miller before he could unleash. But then by that time well rooted du Plessis and Rossouw delivered the killer punch with an unbroken 58 runs partnership in the last 6 and a bit over. Captains Knock of 79 not out valued more than gold in the circumstance.
People may ask how boy wonder Mustafiz bowled. He still produced several magical deliveries. He bowled the 17 and 19 th over against two batsmen aiming to blast out. But hardly could they take any liberty excepting the very last ball which Rossouw blew out of the ground. Sunny and Shakib bowled well. But Bangladesh did not field the way it fielded in the recent past. Smarter fielding could save at least 10-15 runs which on a low scoring match matters. Still one must give credit that South African could be kept in reasonable check.
A target of 149 on whatever wickets it might be was not anything impossible to achieve given the batting quality and strength that Bangladesh demonstrated in the recent past. But what was delivered and executed lacked planning and application. Tamim on his very vulnerable area, Soumya knows only one way of batting a bit indiscretion. Two early blows with 13/2 in the very second over pegged the tigers back. Two seasoned campaigners Shakib and Mushfiqur on a mission were going well till a rush of blood of Mushfiqur caused his wicket. It was the turning point of his match. Shabbir got out to an unnecessary reverse sweep and lucky for de Kock catch behind. Nasir played a highly irresponsible stroke. Mushfiqur airy-fairy stroke triggered collapse. From 50/2 the score soon became 57/5 with the cream of batting already taken out. The ICC top ranked all-rounder Shakib also failed to bail out and Bangladesh succumbed to friendly fires of JP Duminy and D Weiss getting all out 98.
It was a shocking spineless batting with no valid explanation at all. The ghost of early days batting when Bangladesh used to play to lose only was seen pathetically yesterday. Bangladesh lost a golden opportunity to win and advance. Such an opportunity of getting two of the top batsmen de Villiers and David Miller for nothing and getting a gettable target to achieve against a major team of the world will rarely come for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh should see the video clipping of du Plessis and Duminy innings and learn lesson how to bat on such a surface. Even T20 is not a type of cricket where one can strike every delivery.
With one gone and one to play Bangladesh must do soul searching and regrouping. They lost to a much superior side which appeared to have come prepared with extensive home works.
For the readers sake giving a brief of Under 19 match below and show how Bangladeshi teenagers played against South Africa at Durban. Mind you South Africa is current Under 19 ODI champions.
Ist Youth ODI played at Durban, South Africa
Bangladesh Under 19 : 185/2 ( Pinak Ghosh 60, Joyraj Shiekh 50, Nazmul Hossain Shanto 20* and Mehedi Hasan Miraj 15* ) beat South African Under 19 : 184/9 in 50 Overs ( PWA Mulder 62, R Moonsamy 27, Abdul Halim 3/22, Mehedi Hasan Miraj 2/27) by 8 Wickets.
What seniors failed to do, teenagers did it and that too playing away from home. Seniors can take heart from it.
BDST: 0832 HRS, JULY 06, 2015
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