2nd Test
Day-3 Evening Session Highlights:
Maharaj and Muthusamy has lead the charge as South Africa has sealed the series with an innings victory
South Africa scored 575/6 decl (1st Innings), where as Bangladesh scored 159 (1st Innings) and 143 (2nd Innings).
So, finally South Africa beat Bangladesh by an innings and 273 runs.
Keshav Maharaj (5-59) and Senuran Muthusamy (4-45) tore through Bangladesh’s second innings as the hosts collapsed for 143, handing South Africa a commanding series-clinching victory by an innings and 273 runs in Chattogram on the third day.
This is South Africa’s first Test series win in Asia since 2014.
As in the first innings, Bangladesh’s batters faltered with poor shot selection and failed to cope with the disciplined bowling attack from the Proteas.
While the pacers had done the majority of the damage in the previous innings, spin finally played its part in wrapping up the series for South Africa.
Muthusamy struck early in the post-Tea session, dismissing Mushfiqur Rahim LBW after a sharp review.
Soon after, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was dismissed by Maharaj, caught off a top-edged sweep, reducing Bangladesh to 143/7.
With Bangladesh already reeling, captain Najmul Hossain fought valiantly for his 36 but became Muthusamy’s fourth victim as the hosts crumbled further.
Mahidul Islam and Hasan Mahmud showed brief resistance, with Mahmud playing some aggressive shots, but it was only delaying the inevitable.
After a determined stay at the crease, Mahidul’s attempt to go for a big shot saw his downfall, and just a couple of overs later, Maharaj sealed the victory by dismissing Nahid Rana, completing a memorable series win for South Africa in the subcontinent.
South Africa’s dominance was built on stellar batting performances, with centuries from Tony de Zorzi (177), Tristan Stubbs (106), and Wiaan Mulder (105) driving them to a massive first innings total.
The 201-run partnership between de Zorzi and Stubbs put South Africa firmly in control, while Bangladesh’s bowlers lacked discipline and failed to capitalize on the good batting conditions.
David Bedingham also contributed a brisk fifty to maintain the momentum.
Bangladesh briefly had hopes of keeping South Africa under 450, but Mulder and Muthusamy put together a unbroken 152-run partnership to further deflate the hosts.
Although Taijul Islam took a five-wicket haul for Bangladesh, it was a laborious effort with little support from the other end.
In the first innings, Bangladesh were bowled out for 159, facing a massive deficit of 416 runs. Rabada’s second successive five-wicket haul (5-37) left Bangladesh reeling at 48/8.
Mominul Haque (82) and Taijul Islam (30) fought back with a 101-run partnership, but the collapse continued.
South Africa enforced the follow-on, and the Bangladesh batting disaster carried on in the second innings, this time with spin doing the damage.
Muthusamy and Maharaj’s combined efforts resulted in Bangladesh being bowled out for 143, with the spin duo sharing nine wickets between them.
Contributions from Ankon and Mahmud at the end were the only bright spots for the hosts, but the margin of defeat could have been much greater.
This was a historic win for South Africa, who ended their series drought in Asia, while Bangladesh face significant introspection following a crushing whitewash on home soil.
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