South Africa thrash Bangladesh, win Test series 2-0: Records broken
South Africa beat Bangladesh by 332 runs on Day 4 of the second Test in Port Elizabeth to seal the series 2-0. Bangladesh looked perplexed since the start of Day 4. They couldn't survive the spin duo of Keshav Maharaj (7/40) and Simon Harmer (3/34). This is SA's fourth consecutive win at home and fifth across the last six Tests. Here are more details.
How did the match pan out?
SA's top and middle-order showcased character in the first innings (453/10). For the visitors, Taijul Islam claimed six wickets. In response, Bangladesh racked up 217, comprising a lone fifty from Mushfiqur Rahim (50). SA then rode on a quick knock from Kyle Verreynne to set a target of 413. Later, Harmer and Maharaj bundled out the visitors on 80, pocketing a 332-run win.
Bangladesh undergo inexplicable collapse on Day 4
Resuming their day from 27/3, Bangladesh lost the wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim early on. Before they could recover, they lost Mominul Haque, Yasir Ali, and Liton Das in quick intervals. Barring Tamim Iqbal, Liton, and Mehidy Hasan, none of their batters could register double-digit scores.
Maharaj, Harmer shine for South Africa
Maharaj was adjudged the Player of the Series for his incredible performances. He pocketed 16 scalps in two Tests at a terrific average of 12.12. His figures across the last four innings read 2/57, 7/40, 0/65, and 7/32. He also dished out a counter-attacking 84 in the second Test. Meanwhile, Simon Harmer finished with 13 wickets at 15.15.
Feats achieved by Maharaj and Harmer
Maharaj's seven-for has raced him to 150 wickets in 42 Tests. As per ICC, Maharaj is the only cricketer to rack up seven-fors in the fourth innings of two back-to-back Tests. Harmer, who made a Test comeback after six years, has claimed 33 wickets across seven matches. This was the second consecutive Test where both SA spinners affected 10 dismissals in an innings.
Some other records from the two-match series
Dean Elgar led the batting charts in this series (227). The southpaw struck three fifties. In the process, he surpassed 4,800 runs across 46 Tests (4,864). Mahmudul Hasan Joy (141) finished as the top scorer for Bangladesh. He was the lone centurion in this series. Taijul Islam (9) scalped the most wickets for Bangladesh though he featured in only the second Test.
