Mominul takes the blame for Durban debacle

It took just 55 minutes and 13 overs for South Africa to wrap the game up on the fifth day of their first Test against Bangladesh as Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer spun the hosts to a crushing 220-run victory at Kingsmead in Durban yesterday.

Resuming the final day on 11 for three in chase of a 274-run target, Mominul Haque and his troops were bundled out for just 53 -- the Tigers' second-lowest total in Tests. This is also the lowest ever second-innings score by Bangladesh.

Left-arm spinner Maharaj registered his best bowling figure at home, picking up his eighth five-wicket haul. He bagged seven wickets for 32 runs in 10 overs. Off-spinner Harmer, who too scalped seven wickets in the game, bagged three in the second innings as the two spinners accounted for all the ten wickets of the visitors.

Maharaj and Harmer shared 14 wickets between them in the Test as the Bangladeshi batters surrendered helplessly on the final day despite remaining competitive till the fourth day of the match.

The game was not free of dispute as questions were raised by the Bangladesh team management over a few decisions by the umpires. Bangladesh players were also not happy with the sledging faced during the game.

Bangladesh skipper Mominul, however, admitted that he was unable to lead from the front and held himself accountable for the debacle in the second innings.

"Being the captain, I am the one most accountable. I could not take responsibility in both innings. So, I take full responsibility. As a captain, I could not lead from the front. If I were able to lead from the front in both the innings, the result of the match would have been different," said Mominul to the media after the game yesterday.

Mominul, however, was happy with the way youngsters applied themselves in the game, especially credited Mahmudul Hasan Joy for becoming the first Bangladeshi to score a hundred in South Africa in the first innings.

Bangladesh will take on South Africa in the second and series-deciding Test on April 8 at Port Elizabeth.