Dispirited Bangladesh hit the rock bottom on Sunday as they suffered a crushing innings defeat against South Africa inside three days in the second Test in, Bloemfontein to concede a 2-0 series defeat in the two-Test series. This was Bangladesh’s first innings defeat in almost four years, having suffered the ignominy lastly way back in 2014 against Sri Lanka in January 2014 at the at Sher-e Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
Since the defeat by an innings and 248 runs Bangladesh played 21 Tests before this match and have recorded some remarkable success before they faced embarrassment again.
The defeat, however, was not completely unexpected, especially after 333-run loss in the first Test that left the side heavily demoralised.
The incapacity of skipper Mushfiqur Rahim to motivate the team and a blunder the toss did not help the team either.
Playing their first Test without iconic Sakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal in four years, they appeared like a ship without radar as Mushfiq did nothing but to give an impression of a crying baby throughout the proceedings.
Mushfiq criticized his bowlers heavily after the first Test but put his faith again on them at the start of second Test match when he won the toss and failed to read the pitch on second successive occasion.
What followed next should be embarrassing for any side as he stepped in to attend the opening day’s press conference only make some comments best suited in village cricket.
He felt he should not have won the toss and complained that he held no power to decide his own fielding position. His dispirited words did nothing to lift the morale of the side already grappling with injury and selection issue.
The Tigers lost their talismanic opener Tamim Iqbal to injury before the Test and had wait for another opener Soumya Sarkar to pass a late fitness Test to be included in the side.
Another opening batsman Imrul Kayes suffered a blow during opening day’s play that made him uncertain at one stage. With Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah both playing to save their career the Tiger had no settled batsman in their top and middle-order apart from Mushfiq.
The positions of remaining two specialist batsmen Liton Das and Sabbir Rahman are also insecure in the team.
Dismissed for 90 in the second innings of the first Test- their first two-digit score in 10 years – the Tigers badly needed someone like Mushfiq to give them hopes with his brain and brawn.
He failed to use either, leaving them exposed to greater humiliation. They could avoid an embarrassing score in the first innings thanks to a 70-run innings of Liton, but no one could stand tall in the second innings to make their innings longer.
As an obvious outcome they were dismissed for 172 runs to suffer their biggest defeat in years.
-With New Age input
