Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa
SA's Keshav Maharaj feels 'quite emotional' after his match-winning spell
South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj felt 'quite emotional' after his match-winning spell of 7/32 at home which guided Proteas to defeat Bangladesh by a huge margin of 220-runs in the first Test here at Kingsmead, Durban on Monday to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Bangladesh were bowled out for just 53 runs in the second innings, their second-lowest total in Test history. Keshav Maharaj finished with figures of 7/32 in 10 overs. Simon Harmer picked up the other three wickets as the Proteas registered a comprehensive win.
"I am glad there's a shift of mindset towards spin bowling in our country. Very happy for Simon. You can't take Test wins for granted, back to the drawing-room from tomorrow. Both my parents are here, my sister, nieces and nephews, special moment for me. I love playing at home. The Dolphins have been very good for me, very grateful to put in a performance for them out here today," said Keshav Maharaj in a post-match presentation.
Maharaj said the hard work put in as he went wicketless in Bangladesh's first innings paid off after he took 7-32 in the second innings to lead Proteas to a dominant 220-run victory.
"Quite emotional, playing at home is always special. Glad that I could take the team over the line. It's just about being patient and hitting my line and length for long periods of time. Simon provided control and that helped me. As cricketers, we are impatient at times. The hard work from the first innings paid dividends in the second," said Maharaj.
With the win, South Africa booked their second spot in the World Test Championship standings where they are currently behind Australia with a win percentage of 66.66. Bangladesh, on the other hand, stands at the bottom of the table at the eighth spot with a win percentage of 20.
The two teams will next clash in Port Elizebeth in the second and final Test, starting on Thursday.