Bangladesh on lookout for SA spinners in second Test
Skipper Mominul Haque says there was a batting failure in first Test as team could not handle the pressure
05 April 2022 - 18:38
by NICK SAID
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Day 5 of the 1st ICC WTC2 Betway Test match between South Africa and Bangladesh at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban on April 04 2022. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Hosts SA will try to impose another trial by spin on seething tourists Bangladesh in the second and final Test starting at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Friday.
The home side pulled off a 220-run victory in the first Test on Monday, bowling Bangladesh out for a paltry 53 in a second innings of only 19 overs.
The visitors’ management were unhappy with some of the decisions from local umpires Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock in Durban and promised to lodge a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council.
Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque gave a blunt assessment of his side’s horror second innings, when all 10 wickets fell to spinners Keshav Maharaj (7/32) and Simon Harmer (3/21).
“I think it was a big crime on our part to give wickets to spinners on foreign soil,” he said. “You simply cannot give wickets to spinners when you are on tour. You have to score runs against spinners. It is nothing but a total batting failure. I think we just couldn’t handle the pressure.”
The pitch is expected to be low and slow at St George’s Park and unlikely to produce the same bounce as Kingsmead, which will be more to the liking of the visitors.
“We played well in four out of five days,” said Mominul. “There are enough positives to suggest to me that we can bounce back easily in the next game.”
The Proteas are without six regulars, with five playing in the Indian Premier League, including their entire first-choice seam attack.
Those absences forced them, in a way, to play two spinners and captain Dean Elgar does not foresee too many changes for the second Test, especially with such a quick turnaround.
“It shows a lot of character with regards to adapting and being put in conditions we are not familiar with,” Elgar said. “It also shows a lot of strength within our group that we have the resources to adapt.
“We play quite a lot of cricket in the subcontinent. It was great to expose our bowling attack to having two spinners operating in tandem. There’s so many positives out of that.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Bangladesh on lookout for SA spinners in second Test
Skipper Mominul Haque says there was a batting failure in first Test as team could not handle the pressure
Hosts SA will try to impose another trial by spin on seething tourists Bangladesh in the second and final Test starting at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Friday.
The home side pulled off a 220-run victory in the first Test on Monday, bowling Bangladesh out for a paltry 53 in a second innings of only 19 overs.
The visitors’ management were unhappy with some of the decisions from local umpires Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock in Durban and promised to lodge a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council.
Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque gave a blunt assessment of his side’s horror second innings, when all 10 wickets fell to spinners Keshav Maharaj (7/32) and Simon Harmer (3/21).
“I think it was a big crime on our part to give wickets to spinners on foreign soil,” he said. “You simply cannot give wickets to spinners when you are on tour. You have to score runs against spinners. It is nothing but a total batting failure. I think we just couldn’t handle the pressure.”
The pitch is expected to be low and slow at St George’s Park and unlikely to produce the same bounce as Kingsmead, which will be more to the liking of the visitors.
“We played well in four out of five days,” said Mominul. “There are enough positives to suggest to me that we can bounce back easily in the next game.”
The Proteas are without six regulars, with five playing in the Indian Premier League, including their entire first-choice seam attack.
Those absences forced them, in a way, to play two spinners and captain Dean Elgar does not foresee too many changes for the second Test, especially with such a quick turnaround.
“It shows a lot of character with regards to adapting and being put in conditions we are not familiar with,” Elgar said. “It also shows a lot of strength within our group that we have the resources to adapt.
“We play quite a lot of cricket in the subcontinent. It was great to expose our bowling attack to having two spinners operating in tandem. There’s so many positives out of that.”
Reuters
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