Bangladesh South Africa Test Series
2nd Test Played at St Georges Park, Port Elizabeth
Brief Score Card
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 80 All Out in 23.3 Overs (Litton K Das 29, Mehedy Hasan Miraj 20, Tamim Iqbal 13, Keshav Maharaj 7/40 , Simon Hermer 3/34)
South Africa Won the Test By 332 Runs
South Africa White Washed Bangladesh Winning The Series 2-0
Player of the match and Player of the Series : Keshav Maharaj
Majestic Mahraj and Sizzling Simon Harmer required an hour and only 14 overs on the 4th morning to destroy and demolish Bangladesh second innings for 80 runs. Winning by a huge 332 runs the second string South Africa inflicted a compressive whitewash of bruised, battered, pathetic looking Bangladesh.
When a test team losses all ten wickets to a pair of spinners in successive tests for 53+80+ 133 runs in 19+23.3= 42.3 overs any cricket enthusiast understand the level of domination of winning side over the losers. It was a total humiliation and complete disgrace for a team as the opponent played with 8 of its first choice players away released for IPL2022. The night mare of Bangladesh in test cricket in South Africa got extended.
The fate of the match was written on the wall at stumps on day three with Bangladesh hopeless played at 27/3 batting against a target of 413. Tamim, Joy and Shanto were back in the pavilion. Two experienced batsmen senior professionals Mominul and Mushfique were believed to shoulder responsibility. As predicted from day one wicket was gripping and turning, odd balls were bouncing disconcertedly. Mominul, Mushfique and Yasar got blown away within the wink of an eye Litton (29) and Miraj (20) tried to counter act. But off no avail. Bangladesh meekly surrendered once again. Batsmen had no skill, technique and temperament survive against quality spinners on the spinning track. Looking at the pathetic one way procession of Bangladeshi batsmen, the memories of Bangladesh cricketers in late 1970s and early 1980s flashed back in memory. None showed any commitment any will to fight. I do not think Mominul deserves to stay as captain of the team. Possibly time has come to look beyond Tamim and Mushfique as well in test cricket. The team looked totally shattered morally and psychologically.
Credit must be given to South Africa. With almost a second string team they hammered home with two huge victories. It was not the pacers but two spinners bowling in tandem in two-second innings of the touring side completely routed them. Bangladesh reputation as better players of spin was completely blotted. Mahraraj taking 16 wickets in two tests was adjudged player of the series.
Team tigers were have lot to ponder over for their ensuing home series against Sri Lanka. It would be far better fielding a young side thinking about the future. South Africa looks good for its next test assignment in England.
BDST: 1914 HRS, APR 11, 2022
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