Kagiso Rabada delivered another impressive performance, claiming his second consecutive five-wicket haul of the series with figures of 5 for 37. By lunch on the third day of the second Test against South Africa in Chattogram, Bangladesh found themselves in a dire situation at 137 for 8. It could have been even more humiliating for the hosts if Mominul Haque (74) and Taijul Islam (18) had not formed an unbroken partnership of 89 runs, especially after the team stumbled to a troubling 48 for 8 early in the morning session
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Right from the start, Rabada set the tone by expertly enticing Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto into a nick that was caught by the wicketkeeper. Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim then added to the woes of the home side, giving away his wicket to Dane Paterson with a careless shot that landed directly in the hands of a short mid-wicket fielder. This was the worst possible start for Bangladesh, who were already under immense pressure. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, often the crisis man for the team, couldn’t withstand Rabada’s fiery spell, falling victim alongside Mahidul Islam, who was dismissed for a duck.
With the score at 48 for 8, it appeared that Bangladesh would face an early follow-on. However, Mominul dug in and found a reliable partner in Taijul, as the duo built a resilient partnership that momentarily halted South Africa's onslaught. As the session progressed, the pitch eased slightly, but Bangladesh remained significantly behind in the contest. They still needed another 239 runs to avoid the follow-on, a daunting task unless this partnership can achieve something remarkable.
Brief Scores: South Africa 575/6 declared (Tony de Zorzi 177, Tristan Stubbs 106, Wiaan Mulder 105; Taijul Islam 5-198) leads Bangladesh 137/8 (Mominul Haque 74*; Kagiso Rabada 5-37) by 438 runs.
