Durban Test: SA thrash Bangladesh, take a 1-0 lead
South Africa trounced Bangladesh by 220 runs in the first Test at Kingsmead to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. SA had this Test in their control all along. They ran down Bangladesh's batting order, bundling them out on 53 in a chase that needed 274. Keshav Maharaj claimed seven wickets to eventually wind the visitors' show. Here are the details.
How did the match pan out?
SA posted 367 runs on board, riding on Temba Bavuma (93) and Dean Elgar's (67) counter-attacking show. For Bangladesh, Khaled Ahmed (4/92) finished with the best figures. The visitors (298/10) then fought back, with Mahmudul Hasan Joy (137) as the top scorer. SA powered their way to 204, setting a target of 274. Later, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer overpowered the visitors.
Maharaj spins the game in SA's favor
The slow left-arm orthodox had gone wicket-less in the first innings. However, he bounced back with eye-popping figures of 7/32 in the second innings to decimate the Bangladeshi lineup. Those are his second-best figures in Tests. He has now taken 15 wickets in three Tests against Bangladesh at 16.73. In SA, he has raced to 60 wickets in 23 Tests.
Maharaj slams these records
Maharaj has now breached the 140-wicket mark in Tests. The left-arm spinner has claimed 141 scalps in 41 matches. It was his 70th wicket in a winning cause for SA. Maharaj (141) surpassed Paul Adams (134) to be the tenth highest wicket-taker for SA. He is second only to Hugh Tayfield (170) in terms of most wickets by a SA spinner in Tests.
Bangladesh furl early on the final day
Bangladesh couldn't survive an hour on Day 5 of the Durban Test. Barring Najmul Hossain Shanto (26) and Taskin Ahmed (14) none of the players could register even double-digit scores. It was their second-lowest total in Tests (53), with their lowest being 43 (vs WI, 2018). Bangladesh own a 7-0 record in losses in Tests played against the Proteas in SA.
Elgar, Bavuma attain noticeable feats
Elgar hammered fifties in both first and second innings (67 and 64). The southpaw raced past 4,700 runs in Tests. He has now aggregated 4,768 runs across 75 Tests with 18 hundreds and 21 fifties. Meanwhile, Bavuma cracked his highest score against Bangladesh in Tests (93). It was his 18th Test fifty. With that, he has now racked up 2,515 runs across 50 Tests.
Mahmudul enters the record books
The Bangladeshi opener slammed a valiant 137 in the first innings. It was his maiden ton in whites. With that, he became the only Bangladeshi cricketer to have a century against SA in Tests. He also attained the feat of being the only Bangladeshi cricketer with a Test hundred in SA. Across three Tests, Mahmudul has now amassed 225 runs at 45.00.
Some other notable numbers from the first Test
Bangladesh have now lost a total of 11 Tests against South Africa. They are yet to beat SA in Test cricket. The duo of Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj claimed a total of 14 wickets among themselves. As per ESPNcricinfo, that is the most number of wickets by SA spinners since their return to international cricket.
SA eye a series win over Bangladesh
South Africa will be taking on Bangladesh in the second and final Test at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth. The match will commence on April 8. Notably, SA have won five of their last eight Tests at this venue. Overall, they have enjoy a win percentage of 41.94%. They have mustered 13 wins and as many losses, and 5 draws.
