South Africa’s spin twins Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer once again blew Bangladesh away at St George’s Park on Monday to steer the Proteas to a 332-run second Test victory.
Maharaj finished with bowling figures of 7/40 and Harmer with 3/34 as they bowled out the toothless Tigers for just 80 runs to win the series 2-0.
Heading into the final day of the final Test, South Africa required seven wickets for the win, and Bangladesh, on 27/3, went in search of the 413 runs required for victory.
And like they did in the first Test at Kingsmead, which SA won by 220 runs, the Proteas finished off their visitors before lunch, with Maharaj adding five scalps to the two he took the night before, and Harmer claiming the rest.
But the day once again belonged to Maharaj, who not only won the Man of the Match gong, but also walked away with the Man of the Series award.
After not taking wickets in the first innings of the first Test, he then took seven in the second innings and followed it up with a further nine at St George’s Park to finish the series with the most scalps (16), closely followed by Harmer with 13.
Of his turnaround, Maharaj says: “[Captain] Dean [Elgar] and the coach [Mark Boucher] had a chat with me and said ‘your time will come, you’re doing the right things’.
“Ever since that, I tried not to look back and the rest is in God’s hands.”
Maharaj, who also top-scored in the second Test with 84 runs in SA’s first innings, adds of his batting performance: “It was just to try to show some positive intent. I’m disappointed not to cross over the [hundred] line.”
The Proteas’ Test team now takes a long break, before returning with a trip to England in August.