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Bangladesh suffered a crushing innings and 273-run defeat inside three days in the second Test against South Africa after a shambolic batting performance on the third day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Thursday. 

This is South Africa’s biggest win in their history (by innings and runs), and with it they completed the clean sweep over Bangladesh after winning the first Test by seven wickets in Mirpur. 

This was also their first series win in the sub-continent in 10 years, and they now have a strong chance of qualifying for the final of the ICC World Test Championship. 

‘For us as a group of players, we’ve never won a game or a series in the subcontinent, so that makes it very special,’ said South African captain Aiden Markram after the match.  

The hosts, who resumed their first innings on 38-4, lost 14 wickets across the two innings on the day after they were enforced the follow-on by the tourists.

Six Bangladeshi batters were dismissed twice on the same day, with Mominul Haque falling on the same session. 

It was Mominul who kept South Africa at bay in the first session after losing four wickets — when they became 48-8 — in the first 5.3 overs in the morning. 

The left-hander played a lone hand of 82 runs from 112 balls with eight fours and two sixes. 

Mominul added 103 runs with Taijul Islam, the fourth highest for Bangladesh for the ninth wicket. He fell in the sixth over after lunch, and Bangladesh were bundled out soon for 159 runs in the first innings, with a deficit of 416 runs — their second largest at home. 

After bowling 36.2 overs on the day, the visitors decided to enforce the follow-on. Bangladesh lost four wickets before tea and lost five for 47.

This was for the third time that the Tigers lost their first five wickets within 50 runs twice in the same match. 

This time around, debutant Mahidul Islam — who survived an lbw call via DRS when he was on a pair —and Hasan Mahmud hit some late blows but couldn’t take the game into the next day.

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj bagged 5-59 after pacer Kagiso Rabada posted 5-37 from just nine overs in the first innings.

 With yet another heavy defeat, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto reiterated the importance of continuing to improve both in technique and mentality. 

‘Of course this is very frustrating. This shows how much we have to improve,’ Shanto said after the match. 

‘Not only in these two innings. If you see, it’s been happening for quite a long time. If you don’t have partnership from the top order, then the batters will find it difficult in red-ball cricket.

‘I don’t know what the top-order batters think or how they prepare. But if these keep continuing, then these types of results will keep repeating.’