South Africa Dominates as Bangladesh Struggles
Senuran Muthusamy, who had minimal impact earlier in the match, quickly made his presence felt by taking two wickets in quick succession. He dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who edged a delivery that spun away, leading to a straightforward catch.
In a one-sided affair in Chattogram, South Africa is on the verge of clinching the series with a commanding performance on the third day of the second Test against Bangladesh. After taking a massive first-innings lead of 416 runs, the visitors quickly wrapped up Bangladesh's first innings shortly after lunch, adding just 22 runs to their total. Mominul Haque's resilient innings of 82, alongside Taijul Islam's support in a 103-run partnership, spared the hosts from a more humiliating collapse.
With Bangladesh forced to follow on, their woes with the bat continued as they slumped to 43 for 4 by the end of the session. Unlike previous matches, Kagiso Rabada did not take an early wicket with the new ball, but South Africa's other bowlers took full advantage of the conditions. Dane Paterson struck immediately, dismissing Shadman Islam with his first delivery, as the opener edged the ball to Kyle Verreynne behind the stumps.
Senuran Muthusamy, who had minimal impact earlier in the match, quickly made his presence felt by taking two wickets in quick succession. He dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who edged a delivery that spun away, leading to a straightforward catch. The situation worsened for Bangladesh when Mominul, who had been their standout performer in the first innings, was dismissed for a duck by Keshav Maharaj. This marked a significant blow for the hosts.
Muthusamy capped off the session by dismissing Zakir Hasan, who fell to a reckless shot just before the break, getting stumped after a wild swing. With Mominul’s dismissal crucially breaking the momentum, Maharaj then quickly claimed Taijul's wicket as well, further compounding Bangladesh's troubles.
Overall, Bangladesh's batting has been characterized by a lack of application, with the exception of the brief partnership between Mominul and Taijul. Facing a daunting deficit of 373 runs with only six wickets in hand and two full days left to play, it seems increasingly unlikely that the hosts will be able to mount any significant challenge against the formidable South African side.
