“It’s always nice playing the double spinner. It was nice having the control of Simon at the other end. He did have a really good game. I’m really glad to form a partnership with him at the other end,” said Keshav Maharaj, after he took South Africa to a victory in the first Test against Bangladesh at his home ground in Durban.

Maharaj was named Man of the Match after a sensational second innings performance of 7/32, which was chiefly responsible for Bangladesh being dismissed for 53.

Maharaj and Simon Harmer’s spinning partnership wove a web around Bangladesh that they were unable to disentangle themselves from.

“Having Simon in the team is a huge addition and working together, it’s nice to learn how he sees things and obviously I would think that he likes to learn how I see things.

“It’s my first time playing with Simon, I’ve always played against him. It’s good to have him in the change room. He’s lots of fun, has a lot of ideas, and he’s matured a lot as a cricketer.”

This victory was an emotional one for Maharaj, whose family witnessed one of his most significant performances in international cricket.

“Kingsmead is my home. To have my family witness me help the team over the line is even more special to me. Our record here is not great, so I was very happy and pleased to have changed that sort of mindset.”

Photo: CSA