Bangladesh and South Africa Face Off in Second Test: Top Picks & Forecast

Ready, Set, Bet on South Africa's Dominance!

Winning their first Test against Bangladesh, South Africa aims for a 2-0 series victory, securing a stronger position for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.[1] Let's dissect the odds and share some predictions for the second Test kicking off on Tuesday.

Venue: Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Get Your Bets In: Cricket

Amidst Bangladesh's off-field turmoil, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has expressed a desire to step down from leading the team in all formats.[1] This decision has triggered an urgent meeting among board officials in Dhaka, as they weigh the choice to accept Shanto's resignation and find a replacement before the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan. Shanto's decision stems from his struggle as captain, averaging just 19 in the last eight Tests.[1]

Things look brighter for Bangladesh, as opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy's recall offered some stability at the top order, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, along with Jaker Ali, showed resilience in the second innings.However, former captain Mominul Haque struggled but returns to his favored ground in Chattogram, where he's scored seven of his 13 Test centuries.[1] South Africa, on the other hand, needs four wins from their remaining five WTC matches to keep their hopes alive for the 2025 final at Lord's.[1]

With Shakib Al Hasan stepping away from Test cricket, Bangladesh's inconsistency becomes more apparent, especially in Test batting, which heavily relies on Mehidy Hasan Miraz.[1] South Africa's inexperienced batting has shown grit, and with Rabada and Maharaj leading a strong bowling lineup, we expect the Proteas to win this game at 1.83.[1]

Crack the Code with These Players to Watch:

Taijul Islam*: The left-arm finger spinner may one day surpass Shakib as the leading Test wicket-taker in Chattogram, but at a frustrating rate based on current numbers.[1]
Keshav Maharaj*: The spinner credited some advice from his BPL captain Tamim Iqbal for his successes in Mirpur, following which he has collected at least six wickets in four of his five Tests against Bangladesh.[1]

Our Call: South Africa to Win at 1.83[1]

Vital Stats:

Bangladesh won only one of their last 11 Tests in Chattogram since the start of 2015 (D3, L7).[1]
The average first-inning score in Chattogram Tests is 380, which rises to 421 for the 42% of teams that won batting first.[1]
Kyle Verreynne's 114 in the previous Test was just the fifth time from 30 Test innings that he scored 40+ runs.[1]
The trio of Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, and Keshav Maharaj have dismissed Mominul Haque seven times in Tests at an average of 10.71.[1]
Rabada now has head-to-head figures of 3-15 in Test cricket against Mushfiqur Rahim and 3-20 against Litton Das, and both batters average 21 against South Africa.[1]
Mehidy Hasan Miraz has bowled 110 balls to Aiden Markram in all internationals without dismissing him (71 runs).[1]

Take a Swing with These Best Bets:

Best Bet: A hundred to be scored in the first innings at 2.20.[1]
Alternative Bet: Keshav Maharaj to be South Africa's top 1st innings bowler at 2.50.[1]

Let the games begin! May the best team win!

[1] Sources: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/world-test-championship-2021-23-1231068/bangladesh-vs-south-africa-1st-test-2355510/match-report and https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/world-test-championship-2021-23-1231068/south-africa-vs-bangladesh-2nd-test-2355565/preview-1288867 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Test_Championship.

South Africa's betting odds for winning the second Test are at 1.83, as they aim for a 2-0 series victory in the ongoing cricket series against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who averages just 19 in the last eight Tests, has expressed a desire to step down from leading the team, potentially strengthening South Africa's position.
Amidst Bangladesh's off-field turmoil, South Africa's inexperienced batting has shown grit, with Rabada and Maharaj leading a strong bowling lineup, and they are expected to win the ODI at cricket.
In the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC), South Africa needs four wins from their remaining five WTC matches to keep their hopes alive for the 2025 final at Lord's.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das, average 21 against South Africa in Test cricket, and Rabada has head-to-head figures of 3-15 and 3-20 against them, respectively, suggesting a potential advantage for South Africa in the sports matches.