After a rain-stricken 1st Test match, hosts Bangladesh and visitors South Africa are ready to lock horns in Dhaka in the second and the final Test match of the series.
The Proteas are facing a completely new Bangladesh team, who have gone from being easy pushovers to formidable challengers. In the first Test, they not only dismissed the entire South African line-up the 1st innings but they also managed to take a lead ! The visitors clearly struggled against a combined pace- spin attack led by ‘wonder-kid’ Mustafizur Rahman and Jubair Hossain. The visitors have to improve their batting if they wish win the match and the series. They clearly looked uncomfortable against Rahman and the spinners.
Their bowling attack consists of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, three of the best Test bowlers of the modern cricket. Yet they conceded the opposition a lead which signifies that there bowling hasn’t been quite effective against the Bangladesh batsmen. One reason may be that the lack of pace and bounce in the pitch is not facilitating their bowling but they have to overcome all odds in the decisive Test match.
Talking about the home team, they put quite an impressive performance against mighty opponents both in the batting and bowling. Their bowling has been very much outstanding, as they dismantled the South Africa’s top order and they need to stick to that in the coming match also. Their batsmen have been able to silent a strong South African bowling attack in the first match, but they have virtually donated their wickets to part-timers like Van Zyl and Harmer by playing loose shots. They have to be more patient and have to show more maturity in their batting if they want to tackle the visitors and emerge out victorious in the decisive match of the series.
So by the look of the things, it looks like its going to be a quiet an entertaining match.
South Africa Probable XI: D Elgar, S van Zyl, Faf du Plessis, H Amla(C), T Bavuma, JP Duminy, Q de Kock, V Philander, S Harmer, D Steyn, M Morkel
Bangladesh Probable XI: T Iqbal, I Kayes, M Haque, Mahmadullah, M Rahim(C), S Al Hasan, L Das, M Shahid, T Islam, M Rahman, J Hossain
