“In this series, we were outplayed in all three disciplines,” said Proteas captain, Temba Bavuma, after Bangladesh pulled off a historic upset to win the three-match series by a margin of 2-1.

On a wicket where South Africa were expected to score over 300 runs, the top order was rocked by a penetrative spell by Taskin Ahmed, who finished with a well-deserved five-for.

Bavuma said: “The opponents we came across, the skill, the execution they showed was at a level that was quite high. They put us under pressure with bat and ball.

“They showed us how to execute a game in these conditions. Bangladesh is not recorded as one of the top nations but the way they displayed their skill was of a high level.” 

Proteas Head Coach, Mark Boucher, felt that the South Africa batters lacked intent and were gripped by a fear of failure that prevented them from dominating Bangladesh’s bowlers.

Bavuma seconded that view and added that the team did not execute its plans. The high number of soft dismissals in the top order meant that they could not post a competitive total. 

After defeating India 3-0 earlier this year, Bavuma was concerned about the inconsistency in South Africa’s performances.

He attributed it to players, perhaps, not respecting the processes that brought them success against India. 

“From a confidence point of view, I give reference to the India series. There was a lot of belief individually and as a team.

“Maybe it’s a case of not paying respect to the processes. That’s on the top of my head now.”