Cricket
Root quits as England test cricket captain after 5 years
Joe Root stepped down as England’s test cricket captain on Friday, ending his five-year spell in a role that became increasingly challenging because of the team’s long run of series defeats — including 4-0 in the Ashes over the winter.
“I have loved leading my country,” Root said, “but recently it’s hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game.”
Read: ICC Cricket World Cup Super League: Bangladesh's Current Standings, Forthcoming Fixtures
Root leaves his post holding the record for the number of wins as England test captain — at 27 — while his status as one of the world’s leading batters is secure after scoring eight centuries since the turn of 2021.
However, his captaincy has come under scrutiny with England having only won just one of its last 17 test matches — the country’s worst run since the 1980s.
Losing heavily in Australia, England’s biggest rival, was followed last month with a 1-0 series defeat to the West Indies. That made it four series defeats in a row — and it could be five unless England can beat India in July in the remaining test left over from their unfinished series from last year.
“It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career,” said the 31-year-old Root, who took over as captain from Alastair Cook in 2017, “but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right.”
Read: Andrew McDonald named head coach of Australian cricket team
Root said he wanted to carry on playing for England, for whom he is the country’s second highest run-scorer in tests behind Cook.
It leaves England’s men’s team not only without a captain, but also a coach and director of cricket after the departures of Chris Silverwood and Ashley Giles, respectively, in the wake of the Ashes.
Ben Stokes will be among the favorites to take over as captain, although the allrounder has just returned to the team after a spell out for mental-health reasons.
ICC Cricket World Cup Super League: Bangladesh's Current Standings, Forthcoming Fixtures
The Tamim Iqbal-led Bangladesh's ODI team has been in fine shape lately, and they are now leading the points standings of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. With only two ODI League series remaining, Bangladesh do not have enough chances to earn points for the World Cup 2023 qualification tournament. Therefore, they must concentrate on winning as many games as possible in the remaining fixtures. Bangladesh's upcoming Super League schedule and World Cup qualification scenario are discussed in this article.
The Updated Standings of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League
Bangladesh climbed to the top of the World Cup Super League points table after winning the ODI series against Afghanistan in February. The team Tigers strengthened their lead in the standings after clinching a historic series against South Africa (2-1) last March. Bangladesh are now in top place with 120 points, 25 points ahead of England in second place.
Read Imran Khan: The Greatest Pakistani Cricketer
The top eight teams in the standings will advance to the World Cup in 2023. As a result, the thirteen teams competing are fighting it out for a spot in the top eight spots in the points table. India will automatically qualify for the World Cup 2023 as the host nation, regardless of where they place in the Super League. India are currently in third place, ahead of Australia and Afghanistan. According to the most recent updates, Ireland, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand rounded up the top eight.
Interestingly, three major cricket teams, Pakistan, the West Indies, and South Africa, are currently outside the top eight. They must make a strong recovery in their remaining ODI Super League matches.
Read Andrew McDonald named head coach of Australian cricket team
World Cup Super League Points Standings (Updated April 4, 2022)
Position
Team
Match
Win
Loss
Points
NRR
1
Bangladesh
18
12
6
120
0.384
2
England
15
9
5
95
0.838
3
India
12
8
4
79
0.416
4
Australia
12
7
5
70
0.496
5
Afghanistan
9
7
2
70
0.416
6
Ireland
18
6
10
68
-0.355
7
Sri Lanka
18
6
11
62
-0.031
8
New Zealand
6
6
0
60
2.171
9
Pakistan
12
6
6
60
-0.194
10
West Indies
15
5
10
50
-0.972
11
South Africa
13
4
7
49
-0.206
12
Zimbabwe
12
3
8
35
-0.894
13
Netherlands
10
2
7
25
-1.028
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read ICC World Test Championship: Latest Bangladesh Standings, Results, Remaining Fixtures
Bangladesh’s Upcoming Fixtures for the ODI League
Six of Bangladesh's eight ICC ODI World Cup Super League series have already been completed. As a result, they have only two series left in the competition. The Bangladesh team has already completed their series against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. They will play Ireland and England in their final two series, respectively. Let's take a look at the completed series results and the match schedules for the upcoming matches.
Results
Bangladesh vs West Indies
(Bangladesh won the series 3-0/home)
New Zealand vs Bangladesh
(New Zealand won the series 3-0/away)
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
(Bangladesh won the series 2-1/home)
Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh
(Bangladesh won the series 3-0/away)
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
(Bangladesh won the series 2-1/home)
South Africa vs Bangladesh
(Bangladesh won the series 2-1/away)
Read SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh’s Top Five Performers From South Africa Tour
Remaining Fixtures
3-match ODI series between Bangladesh and England (March 2023/Home)
3-match ODI series between Ireland and Bangladesh (May 2023/away)
Bottom Line
Bangladesh should focus more on the Ireland series in order to gain as many points as possible, as England at home would be a difficult series for them. However, Bangladesh have a strong home record in the recent ODI series, thus England will find it difficult to match the hosts. Team Tigers would have a great chance to finish among the top eight teams in the points standings if they can earn 40 more points in the two remaining series. If it happens, Bangladesh would qualify for the 2023 World Cup in India by participating in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.
Read Is Mominul Haque the right man to lead Bangladesh's Test team?
Andrew McDonald named head coach of Australian cricket team
Andrew McDonald has been named head coach of the Australian men’s cricket team on a four-year contract.
Cricket Australia said Wednesday that McDonald’s contract had been made permanent after serving as interim coach since Justin Langer did not agree to a short-term contract renewal in February.
“The journey so far has been particularly pleasing, and I am honored to be given this incredible opportunity for what is an exciting period ahead,” said McDonald, who was the favorite to secure the job fulltime after Australia’s 1-0 test series win in Pakistan.
McDonald joined Australia’s coaching team in 2019 after leading Victoria state and the Melbourne Renegades to all three domestic competition titles during the 2018-19 season.
Read: T20 World Cup 2024: ICC Confirmed the Qualification Route for Marquee Events
The former test all-rounder has also held head coaching roles in the Indian Premier League and in English county cricket. He had been senior assistant coach with Langer since joining the Australian team.
McDonald, who last week returned from the three-test tour of Pakistan, also led Australia to a 2-1 loss in the one-day series and a win in the only T20 International.
“We interviewed several excellent candidates for this role, which is one of the most important in Australian sport,” said Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley.
“Andrew has already shown he is an outstanding head coach and the vision he outlined for the role during the appointment process was both impressive and exciting, making him our clear choice.”
ICC World Test Championship: Latest Bangladesh Standings, Results, Remaining Fixtures
Bangladesh's standing in the ongoing second edition of the ICC World Test Championship (2021–2023) deteriorated following a humiliating whitewash (2-0) against South Africa. On the other hand, South Africa boosted their position in the points standings with two consecutive victories over Bangladesh. With half of the ITC matchups completed, Bangladesh's Test side will be hoping to improve their current standing as well as serve as a party spoiler to other nations in their remaining fixtures. Let's take a look at Bangladesh's forthcoming Test Championship fixtures.
The Updated Standings of the ICC World Test Championship
According to the most recent updates, Bangladesh dropped to seventh place in the Test Championship as a result of their series loss to South Africa. Surprisingly, England are at the bottom of the points standings as they are having a poor campaign in the second edition. On the other hand, South Africa climbed to the second position. Besides, table-topper Australia is the only team in the competition that has yet to lose a match, while the rest of the teams have already lost.
Read: Is Mominul Haque the right man to lead Bangladesh's Test team?
Last month, Pakistan's series loss to Australia enabled India to climb to third place in the standings. On the other hand, Pakistan dropped to fourth place. Sri Lanka dropped to fifth place after losing against India.
The incumbent World Test Championship champion, New Zealand are in sixth place, followed by the West Indies in seventh.
World Test Championship (2021-2023) Points Standings (updated April 11, 2022)
Position
Team
Match
Win
Loss
Draw
Points
PCT
1
Australia
8
5
0
3
72
75.00
2
South Africa
7
5
2
0
60
71.42
3
India
12
6
3
3
77
58.33
4
Pakistan
7
3
2
2
44
52.38
5
Sri Lanka
4
2
2
0
24
50.00
6
New Zealand
6
2
3
1
28
38.88
7
West Indies
7
2
3
2
30
35.71
8
Bangladesh
6
1
5
0
12
16.66
9
England
13
1
7
4
18
12.50
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Khaled fined for throwing ball at SA player
Bangladesh’s Remaining Fixtures for the Second Edition Test Championship
Three of Bangladesh's six ICC World Cricket Test Championship series have already been completed. As a result, three series of six matches have remained. Bangladesh faced Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa in their Test Championship fixtures. They still have a series against Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and India to play. Let's take a look at the results of Bangladesh's ITC fixtures as well as the future match schedule.
Results
Bangladesh vs Pakistan (home)
First Test: Pakistan won by 8 wickets | Second Test: Pakistan won by an innings and 8 runs
New Zealand vs Bangladesh (away)
First Test: Bangladesh won by 8 wickets | Second Test: New Zealand won by an innings and 117 runs
South Africa vs Bangladesh (away)
First Test: South Africa won by 220 runs | Second Test: South Africa won by 332 runs
Read SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh’s Top Five Performers From South Africa Tour
Remaining Fixtures
2-match Test series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (May, 2022/Home)
2-match Test series between West Indies and Bangladesh (June, 2022/Away)
2-match Test series between Bangladesh and India (November, 2022/Home)
Aftermath
Bangladesh's chances of finishing in the top half of the ICC World Test Championship points table are slim. The Bangladesh side's main objective for this Test Championship should be to improve both individual and team performances in each of the remaining series. If Bangladesh's Test team continues to improve, the expected outcome will be achieved on a regular basis.
Read Imran Khan: The Greatest Pakistani Cricketer
Is Mominul Haque the right man to lead Bangladesh's Test team?
Mominul Haque has been captaining the Bangladesh Test team since the 2019 India tour. His Test captaincy credibility has been a hot topic. One of the key reasons is that Bangladesh haven't improved much as a team under his leadership. There was anticipation that Bangladesh's Test side would rediscover their stride after a stunning victory against New Zealand in the first Test in January 2022. Though their recent Test series loss to South Africa dashed such hopes. Let's take a look at Mominul Haque's Test captaincy record.
Mominul Haque’s Record as Test Captain
Mominul Haque was appointed as the permanent captain of Bangladesh's Test side in the year 2019. He is the eleventh Test captain of Bangladesh and has led the side on 15 occasions. Mushfiqur Rahim is the most successful captain in Bangladesh with 7 wins. Mominul Haque and Shakib Al Hasan have led Bangladesh to three wins each.
As per stats, Mominul has a 20% winning percentage, which is the third best among the captains. So, according to Bangladesh's captaincy records, Mominul Haque's performance hasn't been the worst. In reality, he is one of Bangladesh's most successful Test captains.
Read SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh's trip to South Africa ends with a crushing defeat
Bangladesh’s Test Captaincy Record
Player
Match
Won
Lost
Draw
Win%
Naimur Rahman
7
0
6
1
0
Khaled Mashud
12
0
12
0
0
Khaled Mahmud
9
0
9
0
0
Habibul Bashar
18
1
13
4
5.55
Mohammad Ashraful
13
0
12
1
0
Mashrafe Mortaza
1
1
0
0
100
Shakib Al Hasan
14
3
11
0
21.42
Mushfiqur Rahim
34
7
18
9
20.58
Tamim Iqbal
1
0
1
0
0
Mahmudullah Riyad
6
1
4
1
16.66
Mominul Haque
15
3
11
1
20
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Lack of team effort cost us the match: Mominul
Many argue that Mominul Haque’s batting performance has declined since becoming Test skipper. But the stats show that Mominul is the third-most prolific scorer on the team after becoming captain. He is also the third-most prolific run scorer both at home and abroad.
Top five Test run scorers under Mominul Haque's captaincy
Player
Match
Runs
HS
Ave
100s
Liton Das
15
1,066
114
44.41
2
Mushfiqur Rahim
13
903
203*
45.15
1
Mominul Haque
15
901
132
34.65
3
Najmul Hossain Shanto
13
769
163
32.04
2
Tamim Iqbal
7
521
92
43.41
0
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Imran Khan: The Greatest Pakistani Cricketer
Criticism of Mominul Haque's Captaincy during the South Africa Series
Mominul Haque and head coach Russell Domingo were widely reported to desire to bat first in the first Test in Durban. However, Mominul had to change his mind due to the objections of senior cricketers. Considering this, it's clear that he is unable to make many decisions on his own owing to the influence of senior cricketers. Mominul's immaturity has also been apparent in his review-taking.
According to statistics, he has lost the most reviews among the captains in recent years. Besides, he isn't known for being particularly active in the field. Mominul does little to motivate the team, which has a negative influence on their performance. He was heavily criticized on these issues in the South Africa series.
Read SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh’s Top Five Performers From South Africa Tour
Way Forward
Mominul Haque has been given enough time by the BCB to develop as a Test captain. However, statistics indicate that the left-handed batter has done little to enhance the Bangladesh Test team's dressing room environment. Rather, he was criticized for his lack of vision in making decisions.
Mominul must be prompt in order to make critical decisions. Another complaint leveled against Mominul is that his batting form has decreased after being named Test captain. However, the southpaw's batting statistics as skipper reflect that he has been one of Bangladesh's top three run scorers in the last three years.
Mominul Haque may not be the best Test captain for Bangladesh Team at the moment. Though no one can doubt that Bangladesh earned their greatest-ever Test triumph over New Zealand in January of this year while he was captain. The BCB will have to decide whether or not to keep Mominul Haque as Test captain. If the cricket board decides to change the captaincy, they must make a well-thought-out decision after analyzing a variety of factors.
Read Khaled fined for throwing ball at SA player
Khaled fined for throwing ball at SA player
Bangladeshi right-arm pacer Khaled Ahmed has been fined 15% of his match fees by ICC for throwing ball at South African player Kyle Verreynne in "an inappropriate and dangerous manner" during the second Test in Gqeberha.
The pacer was found to have breached level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during Day 2 of the second Test against South Africa at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, ICC said on Tuesday.
In fact, he violated Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to throwing a ball at or near a player, player support personnel, umpire, match referee or any other third person in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an international match.
Also read: SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh’s Top Five Performers From South Africa Tour
Along with the fine, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of the pacer, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period, taking his cumulative demerit points to one.
The incident occurred in the 95th over of South Africa’s first innings on Day 2 when Kyle Verreynne hit the ball back towards Ahmed. The bowler then threw it toward Verreynne in "an inappropriate and dangerous manner", hitting him on the right glove.
Ahmed had admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft, and as such there was no need for a formal hearing.
On-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Allahudien Paleker, third umpire Adrian Holdstock and fourth official Bongani Jele had levelled the charges.
Also read: Lack of team effort cost us the match: Mominul
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.
Bangladesh lost the match by a big margin of 332 in Gqeberha. In the first match, Bangladesh lost by 220 runs in Durban.
SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh’s Top Five Performers From South Africa Tour
Bangladesh's national men’s cricket team made history when they clinched the ODI series (2-1) against the hosts in South Africa for the first time since playing their first limited-overs match there in 2002. However, Bangladesh’s performance in the Test series was very poor. They were whitewashed (2-0) by a second-string Proteas Test side. Some of the Bangladeshi players' performances on the South Africa trip were eye-catching. Let’s take a look at the top five performers from Bangladesh's squad for the SA vs BAN 2022 series.
Bangladesh's top five performers in the SA vs BAN 2022 series
Bangladesh played a total of five matches against South Africa in the just-concluded trip. Three of them were limited-overs matches, while the other two were Test matches. Most of the players from Bangladesh had a good outing in the ODI format as they managed to beat the Proteas in the series. On the other hand, only a couple of players had a good outing in the Test series. Let’s find out the Bangladesh players who impressed everyone with their performances.
Tamim Iqbal
Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal silenced his critics by creating history in South Africa. The Tamim-led team overcame a full-strength Proteas limited-overs side twice in the 3-match series. Tamim was praised for his leadership aptitude, ability to handle pressure in difficult situations and, more importantly, his decision-making on the field was very effective. So, Tamim’s performance as a captain was one of the best for Bangladesh during the trip. Besides, he was the top scorer in the ODI series with 129 runs.
Read Imran Khan: The Greatest Pakistani Cricketer
Taskin Ahmed
Taskin Ahmed has been a revolutionary bowler ever since he returned to the Bangladesh national side in 2021. His performance at home and away has been so consistent, and the South Africa series is no different. The tall right-hand pacer bagged 8 wickets with an average of 14 in the ODI series, including a 5-wicket haul in the crucial series decider.
Taskin was awarded Player of the Series for his brilliant contribution with the ball. He played the first Test and bagged 2 wickets at a 2.73 economy rate. Taskin missed the second Test due to an injury, but he was one of the shining stars of Bangladesh during the South Africa trip.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy
Bangladesh’s young and talented opener, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, played an outstanding knock in the first innings of the first Test. His 137-run innings helped Bangladesh score close to 300. Had Mahmudul not played that knock, Bangladesh could have failed to avoid the follow-on. Because no other batter made even fifty, except Mahmudul’s very patient batting effort. Joy failed to emulate his performance in the rest of the innings of the series, but no one can deny the fact that it was a special performance among the Bangladeshi players.
Taijul Islam
The left-arm spinner, Taijul Islam, was overlooked for the first Test and it was a bad decision. Taijul was picked for the second match, and his bowling performance was outstanding. Taijul bowled a marathon spell in the first innings and picked up six wickets. He also bagged three more wickets in the second innings and finished the match with a figure of 9/202. Taijul achieved multiple milestones with his performance, including a 150 Test wicket haul.
Read SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh's trip to South Africa ends with a crushing defeat
Shakib Al Hasan
For family reasons, ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan didn’t play in the Test series. But Shakib’s all-round contributions in the ODI series helped Bangladesh dominate the South African side. Shakib played a very crucial match-winning 77-run knock in the first ODI and also picked up three important wickets in the series. His presence in the squad boosted the confidence of the Bangladesh players, which was reflected in their on-field performance.
Aftermath
Bangladesh played very well as a team and they were the dominant side in the limited-overs contest. Among the players, pacer Taskin Ahmed and two veterans, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, made important contributions that helped Bangladesh win the ODI series. But the best performance of the trip came from Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s willow. His 137-run knock in the first innings of the first Test is arguably one of the best in Bangladesh Test cricket history. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam’s performance in the second Test was also noteworthy.
The players who excelled for Bangladesh in the SA vs BAN 2022 series have gained a great deal of confidence, which will help them perform even better on future overseas tours. The good news is that Bangladeshi players' performances in difficult foreign conditions have been improving steadily.
Read Bangladesh suffer another thumping defeat against South Africa
Imran Khan: The Greatest Pakistani Cricketer
Imran Khan, a former Pakistani cricketer and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, is considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He played for the Pakistani national cricket team from 1971 to 1992 and captained the team from 1982 to 1992. Imran Khan led Pakistan to win the Cricket World Cup in 1992.
After retiring from cricket in 1992, Khan became involved in politics. He founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party in 1996 and has been its leader ever since. He became the 22nd president of Pakistan in 2018. While Imran was very successful in his cricket career, his political career was not quite fruitful. Let's have a look at Imran Khan's eventful life.
Who is Imran Khan?
Imran Khan is a cricketer and politician from Pakistan. He is also a former Prime Minister of the country and the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Khan played international cricket for two decades and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. In 1992, Pakistan earned its first Cricket World Cup under his captaincy.
Read: PTI announces mass resignations from National Assembly
However, he started his political career in 1996 and has been an outspoken critic of corruption and terrorism. Khan was elected Prime Minister in 2018 and has since embarked on an ambitious reform agenda.
Lack of team effort cost us the match: Mominul
After losing the second Test against South Africa in Gqeberha, Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque attributed the defeat to lack of team effort.
Bangladesh lost the second Test by a big margin of 332 runs, after losing the first match by 220 runs. They are set to return without a memorable result in the Test series.
Right before the Test series, Bangladesh beat South Africa in the ODI series - a landmark achievement away from home. That win charged up the Tigers ahead of the Tests, but they failed to do well in the longer format, despite coming up against a below-strength team.
Also read: Bangladesh suffer another thumping defeat against South Africa
In the four innings of two Tests, Bangladesh did well only in one when Mahmudul Hasan Joy hit his maiden Test ton. But in the other three innings, Bangladesh capitulated to the hosts’ spin attack.
“We failed to play as a team,” Mominul said in the post-match press conference. “I only have an explanation— we failed to bat well.”
Mominul failed to reach double-digits in any of the four innings, totalling just 13 runs for the series. Mushfiqur Rahim, another mainstay of the Bangladesh team, hit a fifty in an innings but failed to reach double-digits in the other three innings. Mushfiqur's rash shot selections leading to dismissals at key moments also came in for criticism.
Bangladesh paid a heavy price for their batting failures.
“You can have some bad days. It does not mean that you are not capable anymore,” Mominul said explaining his own batting failure. “I know how to score runs. I had bad days before and I scored big runs after that.”
Mominul backed Mushfiqur against the criticism he has faced.
“Reverse sweep is a shot of cricket, isn't it?” Mominul said. “Mushfiqur scored ample runs playing this shot. If he has this shot in his plan, he can play it anytime. I support him playing this shot.”
Bangladesh only had five partnerships in two Tests exceeding 50 runs. The biggest stand was of 82 runs between Liton Das and Mahmudul in the first innings of the first Test.
Also read: SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh's trip to South Africa ends with a crushing defeat
There was no stand of more than 50 runs in the second innings of either Test. Of course there wouldn't be given that they were bowled out for 53 and 80 in those two innings, woefully bowled out in under 20 and 24 overs respectively when they needed to bat long in the 4th innings to get any sort of result.
“We are not the number one team in Test,” Mominul said when he was asked whether Bangladesh lack a Test mentality. “We have to play well in every session of a Test. We have to improve more. We are still at the same place where we were ahead of this series.”
Bangladeshi batters play spinners on a regular basis at the domestic circuit. But in this series, they were rudderless against the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj who scalped two seven-fors.
Mominul said they only have one or two batters who can do well against spin, and this is the reason behind their poor show against Maharaj.
Bangladesh’s next assignment is to play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home. The Sri Lankan Test team is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on May 8.
SA vs BAN 2022: Bangladesh's trip to South Africa ends with a crushing defeat
Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa came to an end with a crushing 332-run defeat by the hosts in the second match of the SA vs BAN 2022 Test series on Monday (April 11). With this easy victory, South Africa whitewashed (2-0) Bangladesh in the Test series. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s biggest achievement on the tour was winning the ODI series 2-1 against a full-strength Proteas national side last month. The second match report as well as the top performers from the Test series are discussed in this article.
Second Test Match Report: South Africa vs Bangladesh 2022 Series
Opted to bat first, South Africa managed to put up a total which was a real challenge for Bangladesh to counter. South Africa made 453 runs in their first innings, during which Keshav Maharaj played a crucial 84-run knock lower down the order. Skipper Dean Elgar scored 70 runs at the top of the order and gave the hosts a perfect start to the innings. For Bangladesh, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam bagged six wickets and became the only Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan to scalp six wickets in an innings in South Africa.
Read IPL 2022 KKR vs DC: Delhi's Mustafizur could be crucial against Kolkata
In reply, Bangladesh made only 217 runs and failed to avoid the follow-on. Though South African skipper Dean Elgar didn’t force Bangladesh to bat again. Rather he decided to bat again in order to give Bangladesh a massive target.
At the end of the first innings, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Yasir Ali, and Mushfiqur Rahim all made some runs in the first innings, with Mr. dependable Mushfiqur Rahim (51) being the only half-centurion of the Bangladesh innings.
South Africa declared their second innings on 176/6d after setting a 413-run target for Bangladesh. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam once again was the top performer with the ball. He bagged three wickets in the second innings and finished his match figures with 9/202.
Read SA vs BAN Second Test 2022: Taijul Islam Reaches Unique Milestone
Chasing a massive target, Bangladesh's batters choked against the South African bowling line-up. Bangladesh were dismissed for only 80 runs in just 23.3 overs. Keshav Maharaj picked up 7 wickets in the second innings against Bangladesh.
Player of the Series
Left-arm orthodox spinner Keshav Maharaj was in superb form in the Test series. He was named player of the match after taking 9 wickets in the second game and scoring an important 84 runs in the first innings. Keshav Maharaj took the most wickets (16) with an average of 12.12 in this two-match longer-version contest. With the bat, he scored 108 runs. Keshav Maharaj deservedly received the player of the series award for his superb all-round effort during the SA vs BAN 2022 Test series.
Top Performers: South Africa vs Bangladesh Test Series 2022
There were a few notable performers on both sides in the Test series between Bangladesh and South Africa. But South Africa’s left-arm orthodox spinner, Keshav Maharaj, was the best among them. He was awarded the best player for his consistent performances in the Test series. Apart from him, Bangladesh’s young top-order batter, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, stunned everyone with his patient 137-run knock in the first innings of the first Test in Durban. Proteas skipper Dean Elgar also played a crucial part in batting, while Bangladesh’s left-arm orthodox spinner Taijul Islam did an excellent job with the ball in the second Test match. Here are some of the top performers in the series.
Read Mehidy escapes injury scare after being hit on stomach
Top Three most runs in the Test series
Player
Innings
Runs
HS
Average
100s
Dean Elgar (SA)
4
227
70
56.75
0
Temba Bavuma (SA)
4
194
93
48.50
0
Mahmudul Hasan Joy (BAN)
4
141
137
35.25
1
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Bangladesh lose 3 wickets to stare down the barrel in Port Elizabeth
Top Three most wickets in the Test series
Player
Innings
Wickets
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
5W
Keshav Maharaj (SA)
4
16
7/32
9/97
12.12
2.33
2
Simon Harmer (SA)
4
13
4/103
7/124
15.15
2.78
0
Taijul Islam (BAN)
2
9
6/135
9/202
22.44
3.10
1
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read T20 World Cup 2024: ICC Confirmed the Qualification Route for Marquee Events
Aftermath
It was expected that Bangladesh would upset South Africa in the Test series after a spectacular ODI series triumph against the Proteas last month. Bangladesh's overall performance in the Test series was terrible, with the exception of a few outstanding individual performances. The team tigers seemed to be without a proper game plan, and the batters' attitude to a second-string South African bowling unit was extremely disappointing. Mominul Haque's credibility as a Test captain has been questioned. Furthermore, the role of experienced players on the squad has been criticized.
The BCB will need to take even more effective actions in order to achieve better results against stronger opposition in the longer-version format. Overall, the SA vs BAN 2022 series was both a success and a failure.
Read Bangladesh suffer another thumping defeat against South Africa