BAN vs. SA 2024/25, BAN vs. SA 2nd test match report, October 29th – 31st, 2024

Bangladesh Batting 143 (Mahmud 38, Maharaj 5-59, Muthusamy 4-45) and 159 (Mominul 82, Rabada 5-37, Paterson 2-31, Maharaj 2-57). South Africa 575 for 6 Dec through an innings and 273 runs

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is a case in point. In the first innings, he was indecisive against a Rabada delivery that spat off the surface. Shanto wasn't sure whether to drive or block, giving Kyle Verreynne a head start. Four balls later, Mushfiqur Rahim handed the easiest catch to Tony de Zorzi at square leg off Dane Paterson and was dismissed for a duck.

In the following over, Rabada took two wickets in three balls: first Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who followed a ball that moved away and was caught behind, and then debutant Mahidul Islam, who shouldered his arms to deliver a delivery that left him at the Knee hit rolling. That gave Rabada his second five-pointer in as many Tests and his second place in the subcontinent.

In the first case he cut off the leg, but was saved on the advice of the referee, and in the second case the impact was from the outside. He finally made a decision when Langton Rusere gave out Mominul because he missed a sweep, but Mominul immediately checked and UltraEdge showed an under-edge. Mominul was on 37 at the time. He hit fifty of the 76th balls he faced Maharaj and South Africa thought they had him later in the over when he appeared to be caught at leg slip. Replays showed the ball came loose from the flap of his front pad.

Rabada was brought back for a break before lunch and immediately thought he had clipped Mominul down the leg side but had gone too far. If there is any concern for South Africa after this game, it is the number of no-balls they bowled. Rabada sent nine and Paterson four.

Five minutes before lunch, Muthusamy got the ball for the first time and continued playing after the break. He broke Mominul's resistance with a ball that bounced back into him and hit him on the front pad. Mominul was assigned lbw and checked, but the ball appeared to race over the outside edge without contact and the on-field decision was upheld. Maharaj ended the innings when Nahid Rana returned a catch to him, giving him a return of 2 for 57. At this point, South Africa decided not to bat again and forced a follow-up to bring things to a quick end.

The second excavation in Bangladesh didn't go much better. Shadman Islam was dropped by Wiaan Mulder in the second over, but four overs later he caught Paterson for a throw that went in. Rabada could have had Zakir Hasan in the next over but Aiden Markram jumped over first slip at second slip and neither could complete the catch. Instead, it was Muthusamy who had his chance to shine.

His fifth ball spun off Mahmudul Hasan Joy and went to the edge where Markram completed a good low catch at slip. Three balls later, Mominul caught Muthusamy at the leg boundary and Maharaj could hardly believe his luck. And then Muthusamy also struck gold with the last ball before tea when Zakir came at him, missed and was stumped. Bangladesh went to tea at 43 for 4.

Mushfiqur's miserable game ended when he fell lbw to Muthusamy, which was confirmed in South Africa's review, and Maharaj removed Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul as both tried to create run-scoring opportunities with big throws. As the light dimmed and tension grew between Mahmud and Mahidul, South Africa may have believed that they would have to return on the fourth morning to finish the job.

But Mahidul finally revealed it on his debut. He was tempted by one of Maharaj's tossed balls and hit it to Rabada from distance. Maharaj and Muthusamy were in a race to see who would get five and it was Maharaj who won when Nahid played a catch to David Bedingham at stupid middle, ending the match within three days.