South Africa turn to spin for second Bangladesh Test

South Africa go into tomorrow's May Day Test match - time for the hosts to resort to distress signals? - against Bangladesh at Dhaka confident of wrapping up a 2-0 series victory. After winning the Chittagong Test inside four days, by an innings and 60 runs, they have been training at the Bangabandhu Stadium, where the pitch is expected to aid the slow bowlers from the first morning. The playing surface is already full of cracks, and it has prompted the South African team management to consider playing two specialist spinners, with left-armer Robin Peterson expected to come into the XI in place of Charl Willoughby.

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, gave more insight into the thought process when he said, "The pitch looks dry and is already very cracked, it will probably break up and take plenty of turn so we think Robbie [Peterson] and Paul Adams will be best suited to getting the best out of it. It's tough on Pup [Willoughby] but I'm sure he will have other opportunities in conditions more conducive to his type of bowling."

South Africa haven't fielded two slow bowlers in a Test since Adams and Nicky Boje played in tandem together at the Singhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo in August 2000. Smith however was taking nothing for granted, not even against opponents who have lost 17 of their 18 Tests. "One of the many things we have learnt over here is that you need loads of patience," he said. "Things take time and we must be careful not to rush, the pace of the game is a lot slower."

South Africa have few worries on the batting front, what with Jacques Rudolph having made a trifling 222 not out on Test debut a week ago. There was also a century for Boeta Dippenaar, against an attack that couldn't find a modicum of consistency.

Bangladesh's capitulation in the first Test was nothing out of the ordinary and their coach, Sarwar Imran - who will step down when Dav Whatmore takes charge on June 1 - blamed their batsmen for another shockingly poor performance. "I don't think our batsmen are mentally ready to play Test cricket," was his stinging indictment. For good measure, he added, "The boys also lack patience."

Khaled Mahmud, the captain, accepted that his team had failed to live up to expectations but added that Habibul Bashar - who made 75 in the second innings at Chittagong - had shown that his players had the potential to excel. The hosts are expected to make just the one change, with Mohammad Rafique coming into the side at the expense of either Akram Khan or Enamul Haque. But barring a torrential downpour or two, it's hard to see how Bangladesh will stave off Test defeat number 18.

Bangladesh (likely) 1 Javed Omar, 2 Mehrab Hossain, 3 Habibul Bashar, 4 Mohammad Ashraful, 5 Alok Kapali, 6 Akram Khan, 7 Khaled Mahmud (capt), 8 Mohammad Salim (wk), 9 Mohammad Rafique, 10 Tapash Baisya, 11 Mashrafe Mortaza.

South Africa (likely) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Jacques Rudolph, 4 Boeta Dippenaar, 5 Neil McKenzie, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Shaun Pollock, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Allan Dawson, 10 Paul Adams, 11 Makhaya Ntini.