South Africa VS Bangladesh Test Series
2nd Test Played at St Georges Park, Port Elizabeth
Brief Score Card at Stumps Day three
South Africa 1st Innings 453 All Out in 136.2 Overs (Keshab Maharaj 84, Dean Elgar 70, Temba Bavuma 67, Keegan Peterson 64, Ryan Rikelton 42, Willan Mulder 33, Taijul Islam 6/135, Khaled Ahmed 3/100)
South Africa Second Innings: 176/6 in 39.5 Overs (Sarel Erwee 41, Kayle Verreynne 39*, Temba Bavuma 30, Taijul Islam 3/67, Mehedi Hasan Miraj 2/34)
Bangladesh 1st Innings 217 All Out in 74.2 Overs (Mushfiqur Rahim 51, Tamim Iqbal 47, Yasir Ali 42, Nazmul Hossain Shanto 33, Willan Mulder 3/25, Simon Harmer 3/39,Duanne Oilver 2/39, Keshav Maharaj 2/57)
Bangladesh 2nd Innings 27/3 in 9.1 Overs (Tamim Iqbal 13, Keshav Maharaj 2/17 , Simon Hermer 1/8)
South Africa Needs 7 wickets for the test win an Series White Wash.
High Flying team tigers after recording first ever ODI series win against full strength South Africa are dragged back to reality checking. Even the depleted Protean look set for inflicting a humiliating test series whitewash. Losing 3 top order wickets for 27 in 9.1 overs Bangladesh trails by 386 runs for an impossible win on day five. It will be a question whether they can survive pre lunch session. Whoever may say what wisdom teeth has not grown for Bangladesh in red ball cricket in over two decades. The batsmen look novice against quality pace attack on bouncy track. They have no skill, temperament and can not apply against spinners on a slightly turning track. This team looks pathetically out of shape.
The fate of the match was well written at stumps of day two. Bangladesh finished at 139/5 responding to home teams 453 all out. Mushfique and Yasir were looking good for a while on day three. Yasir started with a bang striking hat trick of boundaries. Some Bangladeshi fans were hoping against hope. Mufique after some early nerves reached his half-century after a while. But as soon as he reached milestone his infectious decease of reverse sweep got him over. Not realising his onerous duties and responsibilities he committed suicide once more. Before his departure Yasir looking great fell to Maharaj scoring a polished 42. The 70 runs sixth wicket partnership showing some lights at the end of the tunnel was switched off . Mushfique should have been doubly careful at this stage. His suicide let Bangladesh wrapped up for 217. South Africa was gracious enough not enforcing follow on. .If they did all could relax tomorrow as in all probabilities the test could be curtained by stumps today.
Baaating second time the home team looked for quick runs for setting a target. Scoring 176/6 in 39.1 overs Elgar declared and in 9.1 overs his spinners decimated Bangladesh to 27/3. In South African innings the only interest for Bangladeshis were whether Taijul can get a 10 wickets haul. Taking 3/67 he just missed. Yet his match figure of 9/202 again proved ignoring him for Duran test was a huge blunder. In the quest of quick runs Erwee (41) , Verrennne 39* and Bavuma 30 were major contributors. South Africa very successfully tested the depth of team against inept Bangladesh still looking as novice in test arena.
As mentioned earlier Dean Elgar not enforcing follow on virtually saved Bangladesh from a humiliating defeat within three days. They looked completely down and out as being reduced to 27/3 in 9.1 overs. Poor Joy witnessed both side of the moon over the two test. After a record setting first test first innings 137 his next three innings were nightmare. In this test he earned pair and a golden duck in the second innings. Hope the youngster would digest this and get better prepared next time. His senior partner Tamim was no better. He fell scoring 13, so did Nazmul Shanto as well. Another show of Maharaj and Hermer started. This pair tormented Bangladesh in the first . This may not be different we apprehend this time as well. Tomorrow would be acid test for Mominul and Mushfique.
The outcome of the series and the match is a foregone conclusion. Bangladesh must get back to drawing board. It is not only the players who look incompetent for test cricket, the team think tank proved incompetent as well. Bangladesh must start rebuilding the test team. The n mindset of ignoring experienced players must be changed. World Cricket is very different than the time of Minhazul Abedin, Habibul Bashar and Khaled Mahmud. Hope Bangladesh learning lessons from the tour would do better against Sri Lanka at home in the up coming series.
Feel so sad for adoring Bangladesh fan. Trust media would also behave responsibly. We can not expect that Bangladesh with poor facilities of longer version back home would perform any better in Test Cricket on tour consistently.
BDST: 2345 HRS, APR 10, 2022
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