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all-rounder Wiaan Mulder were feeling unwell on Monday morning, and tested positive for Covid, meaning they had to be withdrawn from the match.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.

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.

Senior Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj on Saturday backed Wiaan Mulder as the all-rounder South Africa need after the pair dovetailed superbly to dominate the second day of the second Test against Bangladesh at St George’s Park.

Mulder and Maharaj shared an 81-run seventh-wicket partnership that laid the groundwork for the Proteas posting a formidable 453 in their first innings, and Mulder was then the star bowler with three for 15 in six overs as Bangladesh were reduced to 139 for five by stumps.

While Maharaj lashed a punishing 84 off just 95 balls, Mulder scored a determined 33. It was a welcome return to form for the talented 24-year-old, who was heavily criticised for his performance in the first Test.

“Wiaan has taken a lot of flak recently, but that innings he played in the second innings of the Test we won in New Zealand showed his capability,” Maharaj pointed out.

“He might not be scoring fifties but he is sharing very good partnerships, like he showed again today. He really knuckled down and he was unfortunate to get out to a really good ball.

“Wiaan played extremely well with Kyle Verreynne first thing in the morning and that allowed me to play with freedom.

“And then he showed his value with the swinging ball. I think today will be a huge confidence boost for him and he adds variety to our attack and batting depth,” Maharaj said.

Having made his career-best score and his fourth Test half-century, Maharaj said the lower-order needed to score runs consistently in order for the team to be able to field five bowlers.

“We have good depth to our batting, it’s just about us putting our hands up on a consistent basis and giving the coaches and selectors the confidence to play a more balanced attack.”

The KZN Dolphins star admitted that he had wasted a great opportunity for his maiden Test century, being bowled by fellow left-arm spinner Taijul Islam when he stepped down the wicket and tried to heave the ball over the leg-side. Maharaj said he should have aimed for long-on rather than cow-corner.

“When you get so close, it always crosses your mind about getting the hundred,” the maker of two first-class centuries said. “It was a golden opportunity for me, but the adrenalin is going.

“I probably should have gone straight like I had been doing before,” Maharaj said.