DHAKA: The rain-marred, two-Test series between Bangladesh and South Africa ended in a predictable draw on Monday after the final day’s play of the second match was called off without a ball being bowled due to a wet outfield.

The series was drawn 0-0 with both Tests washed out.

Rain at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium disrupted three straight days of play before umpires decided to abandon the match 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the fifth day.

Bangladesh were 246-8 in their first innings with captain Mushfiqur Rahim top-scoring with 65 on Thursday’s opening day before the rain set in.

The downpours left the ground with a soaking wet outfield, prompting match officials to call off the entire final day even though it was not raining when the decision was made.

Six out of the 10 days in the entire series were thus lost to rain, questioning the logic behind scheduling the tour during monsoon season.

The first Test in Chittagong was also hit by the weather. Only 221 overs could be bowled there, with rain curtailing play on the second and third days before wiping out the last two days of the drawn match.

“It is one of the most bizarre Test series I have ever played,” South Africa captain Hashim Amla said. “I don’t think I have played a Test series where, out of 10 days of cricket, six days have been rained off ... It is what it is, you can’t control the weather.

“Whatever happened, happened. The cricket has been tough.”

He cited paceman Dale Steyn claiming his 400th Test wicket in the match as the highlight for the visiting top-ranked Test side.

Steyn was adjudged man-of-the-series.

The outcome of the series did not impact the rankings of the two teams but South Africa lost five rating points while Bangladesh gained six.

With the two Tests being rained out, Amla objected to losing the points.

“It’s a difficult one to understand really. You can understand if it’s a 1-1 draw where you have played enough cricket to make a true reflection,” Amla said.

Mushfiqur, who was named man-of-the-match, said the series was ‘an opportunity lost’ but believed the result could have been in the hosts’ favour with better weather.

“You can’t bowl out South Africa under 250 everyday, that’s what we did in the first Test. On the tricky wicket in the second Test, we managed 246,” he said, adding that South Africa would not have found it ‘easy to bat.’

South Africa won the Twenty20 series 2-0 but Bangladesh had their first-ever ODI series victory over the tourists, winning 2-1 after losing the first match.

Bangladesh would take positives from the results of the tour into the home series against Australia in October.

Final scores:

BANGLADESH 246-8 (Mushfiqur Rahim 65, Mominul Haque 40, Mohammad Mahmudullah 35, Shakib Al Hasan 35, Imrul Kayes 30; J.P. Duminy 3-27, D.W. Steyn 3-30, D. Elgar 1-22, M. Morkel 1-45).

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2015

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