DAY 3: Proteas on course for huge innings win over Bangladesh

The Proteas are on course for a huge innings win over Bangladesh at tea on day three after the hosts were reduced to 43/4 in their second innings of the second test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday.

The hosts were bowled all out for 159 in their first innings during the post lunch session, and are now in real danger of being hammered within three days, as they still need 373 runs just to make the Proteas bat again in the match, which looks incredibly unlikely at this stage.

Proteas pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada was the hero of the morning session, picking up three wickets to add to his two from yesterday to finish with figures of 5/37 in nine overs in Bangladesh’s first innings.

But the afternoon session belonged to the spinners as Senuran Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj spun a web around the Bangladeshi batters.

Resuming their first innings on 137/8 after the break, Mominul Haque, 82 off 112 balls (8x4; 2x6) and Taijul Islam (30) extended their impressive ninth wicket partnership to 103-runs.

But Muthusamy finally made the breakthrough as he pinned Haque in front LBW, while Islam followed a few overs later, popping a return catch back to Maharaj to end their innings.

Bangladesh’s second innings then got off to a better start than their first, but opener Shadman Islam (6) was eventually first to fall as he edged Dane Paterson to keeper Kyle Verreynne, with the score 15/1.

Muthusamy then had Mahmudul Hasan Joy (11) edging to captain Aiden Markram who took a good low catch at first slip, followed by Haque hitting Maharaj straight to Muthusamy, who was the only fielder on the leg side boundary, to fall for a second ball duck as they slipped to 29/3.

With the final ball before tea Zakar Hasan (7) came down the wicket at Muthusamy, missed the ball and was stumped by Verreynne, to leave the hosts in huge strife once again.

At the start of the day Bangladesh resumed on 38/4, and it only took until the third over of the day for Rabada to get the ball rolling as he had Najmal Shanto (9) softly fending a catch to Verreynne.

In the next over Paterson had Mushfiqur Rahim popping an easy catch to Tony de Zorzi at square leg, followed by a Rabada double in the following over as he had Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1) caught behind and Mahidul Islam trapped LBW for a second ball duck as the hosts crashed to 48/4.

However Haque, who had watched all of the carnage from the other end, finally found a willing partner in Islam and they bravely fought to lunch with an unbeaten 89-run ninth wicket stand.

BANGLADESH: Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Zakir Hasan, Mahidul Islam (wk), Nahid Rana, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram (capt), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson