Ken Borland

Bangladesh collapsed again like a tyre on a potholed South African road as Keshav Maharaj ended with another seven-wicket haul and the Proteas won the second Test by a massive 332 runs at St George’s Park on Monday.

As impressive as South Africa were in wrapping up a 2-0 series win by bowling Bangladesh out for just 80, needing just 59 minutes on Monday to take the last seven wickets, it was a deflating end to the tour for the visitors, who had begun with such promise by winning the ODI series.

But they showed no stomach for the fight on Monday. Resuming on 27/3, they lost three wickets in the first 4.5 overs as Mushfiqur Rahim (1) fell to a superb catch by Dean Elgar at slip and Mominul Haque (5) and Yasir Ali (0) were both caught off attempted slog-sweeps.

Liton Das (27) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (20) enjoyed hitting a few boundaries, but Maharaj kept wheeling away from the Duckpond End and dismantling the Bangladesh batting. The left-arm spinner became the first man in Test history to take seven wickets in the fourth innings of consecutive Tests. His final figures on Monday were an exceptional 7/40 in 12 overs, the best ever figures by a South African at St George’s Park, improving on Allan Donald’s 7/84 against India in 1992/93.

With Simon Harmer chipping in with 3/34 in 11.3 overs, the wheels fell off Bangladesh’s batting in just 23.3 overs. It was another dismal effort following their awful 53 all out in the first Test in Durban.

It was the most unusual and bittersweet of Test debuts for Khaya Zondo on Monday morning as the second Test between South Africa and Bangladesh resumed at St George’s Park.

The 32-year-old Zondo was brought into the Proteas Test team for the first time on the fourth day of the match as a like-for-like Covid replacement for opening batsman Sarel Erwee.

Erwee and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder were feeling unwell on Monday morning, and tested positive for Covid, meaning they had to be withdrawn from the match. Under the ICC regulations, they are allowed to be fully substituted for the remainder of the game.

That means Glenton Stuurman, who made his Test debut in New Zealand in February, is allowed to bowl in place of Mulder. But because South Africa have already had both their innings in the match, there will no batting for the less fortunate Zondo.

One hopes that Zondo’s Test career does go further and he does not become one of those unlucky cricketers who play just one Test and do not bat or bowl.

The KZN Dolphins batsman has been prolific in first-class cricket this season, averaging 73.50. Having made two centuries in 2020/21, he went a step further this summer, notching his maiden double-century, 203 not out against Western Province at Newlands at the end of October.

The Test series against Bangladesh has shown that the Proteas have discovered two new partnerships that they did not have at the start of the summer as spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer continue to cause havoc and Sarel Erwee is combining superbly with Dean Elgar in the new opening batting partnership.

Maharaj and Harmer took three wickets in three overs after lunch on Sunday to rush Bangladesh’s first innings to a close on 217 all out, a deficit of 236, and the pair were at it again in the 9.1 overs before stumps as they reduced Bangladesh to a parlous 27/3 in their second innings at St George’s Park.

The tourists are chasing a highly unlikely 413 for victory, South Africa declaring their second innings on 176/6 after batting for less than 40 overs on Sunday. That was partly due to the tone set up front by Erwee (41) and Elgar (26), who put on 60 for the first wicket off just 69 balls.

The pair have now shared opening stands of 52 and 60, 113 and 48, and 111 and 12, in their last three Tests.

“As opening batsmen, your heart flutters when you have to come out and bat at twilight,” Erwee said. “It’s not a nice period and it’s even worse when you have to face two world-class spinners like Kesh and Simon.

“They are very experienced campaigners, they know their craft and they have different variations and speeds. Plus they have bowled in different conditions around the world.

“They are a partnership which will stand South Africa in good stead.

“As far as Dean and I go, we share a good relationship off the field, we know what makes each other tick, which allows you to understand your partner a bit better. Things are going quite well at the moment for us,” Erwee said.

The strapping left-hander said it had always been South Africa’s plan to bat aggressively and hit the 400 mark in terms of a lead before declaring.

“We had the target of a minimum 400-run lead, that’s what we were looking at before declaring. It was always the plan and that’s why there was such positive shot-making.

“In terms of our mindset, we want to be positive, that’s what Dean as captain and coach Mark Boucher are trying to instil, and we’ve got to follow through as players.

“The new ball was ragging off the pitch and we knew the wicket would get slower and turn quite nicely. Hopefully that carries on tomorrow,” Erwee said on Sunday evening.

South Africa are in firm control of the second Test against Bangladesh with the tourists needing the wee small matter of 386 more runs, having already lost three wickets, for an unlikely series-levelling victory as they head into the fourth day at St George’s Park.

Having quickly wrapped up the Bangladesh first innings for 217 in less than 20 minutes after lunch on Sunday, earning the Proteas a first-innings lead of 236, South Africa then declared on 176 for six to set the visitors a highly-unlikely 413 to win.

That task became even more daunting when left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj removed Mahmudul Hasan Joy with just the third ball of the innings, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne parrying the catch to second slip Wiaan Mulder. Joy, having scored an epic century in the first Test, completed a pair in the second.

The delivery to dismiss Joy went straight on and bounced a bit more than expected, but in his second over, Maharaj ripped a delivery from outside off-stump into the pads of left-hander Nazmul Hossain Shanto and had him lbw for 7.

And then, on what became the last ball of the day, Simon Harmer obtained sharp turn and bounce, the ball coming off the shoulder of Tamim Iqbal’s defensive bat and looping to second slip. Tamim was out for 13 and Bangladesh were reeling on 27 for three at stumps.

Another solid, positive top-order display saw South Africa easily set up their declaration as they scored at 4.45 runs-per-over, calling time on the second innings in the 40^th over.

Sarel Erwee (41) and Dean Elgar (26) continued their effective opening partnership with a stand of 60 off just 69 balls, and Temba Bavuma (30) and Kyle Verreynne, with 39 not out off just 30 deliveries, both batted brightly.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam took three for 67 in 15 overs and fell just short of becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test against South Africa.

Bangladesh had started the third day on 139 for five in their first innings and Yasir Ali made a pugnacious start by hitting the first three balls of the morning, bowled by Lizaad Williams, to the boundary behind square on the off-side.

Yasir and an obstinate Mushfiqur Rahim added 60 for the sixth wicket but the Proteas attack don’t give up and Yasir was eventually caught-and-bowled by Maharaj for 46.

Just five minutes before lunch, Mushfiqur then played an ill-judged reverse-sweep against Harmer and was bowled for 51.

That opened the door for a collapse of four wickets for just seven runs after lunch, spinners Harmer and Maharaj taking three wickets in three overs.

Harmer finished with three for 39 in 10.2 overs and Maharaj claimed two for 57 in 24 overs, while the contributions of seamers Wiaan Mulder (13-7-25-3) and Duanne Olivier (15-4-39-2) should not be forgotten either.