CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh — Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam made headlines yet again by securing his second consecutive five-wicket haul, leading to a dramatic shift in momentum during the second day of the final cricket test on Wednesday. As the lunch break approached, South Africa stood resilient at 413-5, demonstrating their dominance despite Taijul’s impressive performance, which left him with figures of 5-152 for the session.
Taijul orchestrated a remarkable collapse for the South African side, claiming three wickets for a mere five runs, which brought the team’s score down from a comfortable 386-2 to 391-5. Earlier in the series, he had already shown his capability by capturing eight wickets in the first test, although his efforts were not enough to secure victory for Bangladesh, who lost that match by seven wickets.
Just before lunch, Wiaan Mulder (12) and Ryan Rickelton (11) showcased some resistance against Taijul’s spell, allowing South Africa to maintain a commanding position. Starting the day at a solid 307-2, Tony de Zorzi and David Bedingham continued to pile on runs effortlessly, as the pitch favored stroke-play for the batsmen.
De Zorzi, displaying remarkable form, reached his maiden Test century and progressed to 150 off 235 balls, putting away a floated delivery from Taijul elegantly through mid-wicket for a boundary. Meanwhile, Bedingham managed to notch up his third half-century, bringing up 50 runs off 70 balls before being dismissed for 59. Shortly after, De Zorzi, who had been executing sweep shots with precision, was caught out after missing the line of delivery, resulting in him being trapped leg-before-wicket. His impressive innings concluded at 177 runs, having faced 269 balls and struck 12 fours and four sixes.
Kyle Verreynne, who had starred in the previous test match, faced a similar fate as he unsuccessfully attempted a sweep shot, falling leg-before without registering any runs. This wicket marked Taijul’s 14th five-wicket haul in his Test career, adding to his growing legacy as a formidable spinner in the match.