South Africa have once again signed off another fruitful day of Test cricket with plenty to savour, as Bangladesh are now running out of plans.
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The day began with the visitors needing to score as much as they could to limit the first-innings deficit. And it was a handy, positive start with Yasir Ali striking three boundaries in a row off Lizaad Williams in the very first over.
The partnership between Yasir and Mushfiqur crossed 50, and this was exactly what they needed, especially when Harmer and Maharaj were extracting significant turn from the surface.
Despite the steady progress from the two, the Proteas finally got the much-anticipated breakthrough when Yasir got a leading edge that popped straight back to Maharaj.
He fell just short of a half-century, but that was the opening that would soon close out the innings.
A poor lapse of concentration from Mushfiqur was his own undoing, as he completely missed an attempted reverse sweep and lost his off stump.
All the hard work from the 70-run partnership had been undone, and the spinners teamed up to claim the final three wickets for just 7 runs.
SA were ahead by a whopping 236, but Dean Elgar still chose to bat again. The plan was quick runs, and the Proteas got exactly what they wanted.
Bangladesh took regular wickets, but it was a compilation of useful 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s from the batters that would stretch the lead past the 400 threshold.
Sarel Erwee top scored with a decent 41, and a rather quick 39* from Kyle Verreynne prompted a declaration with 10 overs to spare. It was a strategic call from the skipper, with the surface only becoming more and more spin-conducive.
It was a similar start to the Bangladesh second innings, as Mahmudul Hasan Joy was once again sent back in the first over. He ended up edging his first ball off Maharaj to Mulder at slip. Bangladesh’s MVP from last game was dismissed for a pair in this game.
The batters remained cautious, but couldn’t negotiate the spin duo well enough. Maharaj got one to tremendously spin back in and trap Nazmul Hossain Shanto LBW, and the day came to a rather fitting end with the big wicket of Tamim Iqbal.
An attempted defensive push off Harmer took the edge and carried to slip, giving Mulder his second catch.
It’s been a very clinical effort from the South African spinners, who have emphatically dismantled the Bangladesh batting unit, who just don’t seem to have an answer.
There’s every chance this game may come to an end tomorrow. Catch the action in Gqeberha on Day 4.
SA 453 + 176/6d (Erwee 41, Verreynne 39* – Taijul 3/67)
BAN 217 (Mushfiqur 51, Yasir 46 – Mulder 3/25, Harmer 3/39) + 27/3 (Maharaj 2/17)
