Port Elizabeth Test: Bangladesh tumble to 139/5 on Day 2
South Africa hammered Bangladesh on Day 2 of the ongoing second Test in Port Elizabeth. SA's tail-enders toyed with the visitors to bulldoze their way to 453/10. For Bangladesh, spinner Taijul Islam claimed six scalps. Later, Bangladesh got off to a horrific start, courtesy of SA pacers Duanne Olivier and Wiaan Mulder. Bangladesh are reeling on 139/5 at stumps.
Resuming from 278/5, SA cruised their way to a 450-plus total. The likes of Kyle Verreynne (22), Wiaan Mulder (33), Keshav Maharaj (84), and Lizaad Williams (13) weaved the crucial partnerships. Maharaj played a gem of an innings. He smashed nine fours and three sixes to nullify the Bangladeshi bowlers. Later, SA left Bangladesh on a worrying note for Day 3.
The spinner had come in as a replacement for an injured Taskin Ahmed in the playing XI. He cherished the opportunity with his best figures versus the Proteas in Tests (6/135). With that, the slow left-arm orthodox raced to 150 wickets across 36 Tests at 32.21. In South Africa, he has now picked six wickets across two Tests.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who struck a magnificent hundred in the previous Test, was sent back to the pavilion by Olivier in the first over. Bangladesh then laid a counter-attacking show riding on Tamim Iqbal (47) and Najmul Hossain Shanto's (33) furious approach. However, they were dismissed in quick intervals. SA succeeded in pulling the visitors down to 122/5 in 32.6 overs.
The veteran wicket-keeper batter struck a gutsy 30* before wrapping up Day 2 for the visitors. With that, he has raced past the 4,900-run mark in Tests. He has aggregated 4,910 runs in 80 Tests at 36.64. On Day 3, Mushfiqur has a solid chance in hand to become the first Bangladeshi cricketer to surpass 5,000 runs in Tests.
SA's pace duo of Duanne Olivier (2/17) and Wiaan Mulder (3/15) breathed fire on Day 2. Olivier doled out the first breakthrough for SA. He got the edge on Mahmudul Hasan Joy on the penultimate ball of the first over. Mulder then plumbed a hostile-looking Tamim Iqbal (47). The seamer went on to pocket Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominum Haque in a similar fashion.
