In the second Test match South Africa crushed Bangladesh comprehensively to win the series 2-0 by innings and 273 runs. The Proteas bundled out the Bangladesh team twice in just three days, thanks to Maharaj’s five wickets helping the proteas serve one of the worst defeat to Bangladesh in Test cricket.

The match was held in Dhaka, and as it shown the two teams played completely different from each other. The Bangladeshi batsmen failed to come to terms with South Africa’s bowlers, particularly Maharaj, who was the pick of bowlers on the day. On this occasion, the hosts, who obviously had more possession of the ball, did not afford the guests much pressure or performance resistance.

This defeat is one of the lows for Bangladesh cricket since it was their second-worst defeat in Test cricket. The extent of the loss has led many to wonder if the team is capable of competing for the highest titles in the sport. It is now time for critics and especially cricket lovers to start asking questions regarding the Bangladesh team’s build up towards this serious series.

Whilst the Australian team will be dispirited by the pounding they received, the South African team will be encouraged by the match. Their capacity to extract the follow-on and send Bangladesh packing on two occasions within a short time shows that they have a good bowling line-up. This series victory, therefore, must have installed lots of confidence when they prepare for other future international tournaments.

This is a wake-up call for Bangladesh. The team and other related coaching staff will have to sit down and realize that they have made some wrongs that can be corrected. Special emphasis is expected to be given to the batting department, which did not handle the South African bowling well.

The cricket fraternity in Dhaka and the rest of Bangladesh will look forward to the kind of performance the team is going to deliver now that they have this kind of loss. In relation to the next international assignments, Bangladesh has to pull its socks up and get ready to perform. The nature also of the next win to achieving that failure will go a long way to influencing the continuing loyalty of the fan base.

The shutters may finally come down on this series, but questions will be asked about the direction of Bangladesh cricket. The national cricket board may have to start thinking of improvements in the coaching area, selection, or training regimen if the team is to improve and be better placed to contain other teams in future Test series against teams of higher ranking like South Africa.

In this series, the South African team has proved that they are one of the most dangerous sides in Test cricket. It will be remembered by other cricket-playing nations that they are capable of performing so well in foreign soils, especially in the sub-continent. Back home, triumphant as they are now, the Proteas will have to draw from these experiences when they are in other international leagues again.

For all cricket lovers, especially those in Dhaka, this series will be a wake-up call on Bangladesh cricket. But it also is a chance to work on becoming better. The series ended up highlighting areas that needed addressing from the team and management; the coming months will be important as they attempt to rediscover the advantage needed to compete with the best teams in world cricket.