South Africa took just 13 minutes to wrap up the second Test against Bangladesh by an innings and 18 runs at the Bangabandhu National Stadium here on Sunday.
Bangladesh, needing 24 more runs to make South Africa bat again, could add just six runs on the fourth day as seamer Shaun Pollock took both the remaining wickets.
Overnight 204-8 after conceding a 228-run first innings lead, the home side could not deny South Africa its fourth straight innings victory over Bangladesh, consuming just three overs this morning.
Bangladesh lost the first match of the two-Test series by an innings and 60 runs at Chittagong and had lost both matches of a two-Test series by similar margins in South Africa last year.
Tapas Baishya remained unbeaten even as Mohammad Salim was caught in the close-cordon and last-man Mashrafi bin Murtaza was bowled.
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith thus had the satisfaction of scoring convincing wins in his first two Tests at the helm.
”It is easy to say that we just beat Bangladesh but all of us had to adapt to the conditions here. Our bowlers bowled well, we had some good partnerships and so did well overall,” said 22-year-old Smith, the youngest South African captain.
”It has been a wonderful experience playing in the sub-continent and we know it will help us in the future,” said Smith, looking forward to an upcoming tour of England.
”We will be off to England in some weeks and hope to carry our form from here. We are due to play both Tests and one-dayers there and we are looking forward to them,” he said.
South Africa came here with a new-look side with Smith replacing Shaun Pollock as captain after the all-rounder failed to take South Africa beyond the first round of the World Cup.
With the retirement of paceman Allan Donald and batsman Jonty Rhodes and the unavailibility of all-rounder Jacques Kallis, South Africa came with relative inexperience.
Opener Gary Kirsten, who has retired from one-dayers, Lance Klusener and Nicky Boje were also not picked for the series, as the selectors decided to give opportunities to youngsters.
Left-handed batsman Jacques Rudolph, declared man of the series, was the find of the tour for South Africa. He struck a rare unbeaten double-century on debut (222 not out) in the first match and got 71 here.
But for Bangladesh, it was just another result in a dismal record as they have now lost 18 of 19 Tests since gaining Test status in 2000, the only draw coming in a rain-hit match against Zimbabwe.
The loss here came in just over three days despite two sessions being disruped due to rain on the second day.
Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud gave full marks to South Africa but felt his team was capable of doing better.
”They (South Africa) played well in unfavourable conditions but our batsmen were guilty of getting out in their 20s and 30s. We lacked application,” said Mahmud. – Sapa-AFP