South African spinner Keshav Maharaj remains optimistic about his team’s chances of clinching a series lead in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh, even after a late resistance from the hosts in Dhaka. On Day 3, Bangladesh launched a strong comeback after struggling earlier, closing at 283 for 7, but South Africa still holds the upper hand, though their lead is not overwhelming.
The crucial 138-run partnership between Mehidy Hasan and Jaker Ali for the seventh wicket enabled Bangladesh to not only erase their first-innings deficit but also end the rain-affected third day with an 81-run lead. At a point when Bangladesh seemed on the verge of a collapse that could have resulted in an innings defeat, Mehidy’s unbeaten 87 and Jaker’s 58 guided them to a respectable position.
Despite rain forecasted over the next two days due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, Maharaj remained composed. He acknowledged Bangladesh’s resilience but expressed confidence in South Africa’s standing.
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“Yes, Bangladesh played really well today, particularly as conditions improved with the aging ball. But I believe we’re still in control. While Bangladesh has a lead, we’ve just three more wickets to get,” Maharaj said during the post-match press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
“Our goal is to restrict them as much as we can, but given our strong first-innings batting performance, we’re still in a good position,” he continued.
Reflecting on Day 2, Maharaj admitted that South Africa might have been too aggressive in their search for wickets, but he credited the Bangladeshi batters for their persistence.
“Mehidy and Jaker batted exceptionally well. We threw everything at them, but they held firm. Full credit goes to them,” he remarked.
Maharaj also noted that the Dhaka wicket had similarities to Durban’s Kingsmead pitch.
“The pitch looked hard, and as the game progressed, there’s been some variation in turn. The moisture in the air and rolling has made conditions slightly better for batting, especially as the ball loses its shine.”
Looking ahead to Day 4, Maharaj stressed the importance of getting off to a strong start. “Ideally, we’d want to limit Bangladesh to a 100-run lead or less, but the key will be starting well in the morning and assessing from there,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed remained hopeful that his team could turn the match around, drawing inspiration from their past comeback against Pakistan, where they recovered from 26-6 in the second Test to post a challenging total.
Mushtaq praised the belief in the Bangladesh squad, saying,
“When you win a Test match from a difficult situation, like we did against Pakistan, it builds belief. It starts with the coaching staff, and soon the players begin believing it too. That fightback mentality is crucial, and it’s creating a positive environment for us.”
He also spoke about newly appointed batting coach Phil Simmons, emphasizing the importance of patience as Simmons adapts to the team. “Phil is a calm, experienced coach. It will take him a couple of series to fully understand the team’s culture and mindset, but he’s already making an impact.”
