South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj made headlines during the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh for his standout performance, but behind the scenes, the spinner sought some crucial advice from a familiar face—Tamim Iqbal.

Having played under Tamim’s captaincy for Fortune Barishal in last year's Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Maharaj wasted no time in reaching out to the Bangladeshi star after landing in Dhaka, but it wasn't just for a courtesy call.

Upon arriving in Dhaka for the Test series, Maharaj got in touch with Tamim to get insights on the Sher-e- Bangla National Stadium pitch. His goal was to better understand how a spinner could best utilize the conditions in Mirpur, which are often unpredictable. During the press conference after the third day of play, Maharaj revealed this valuable exchange when asked about his contact with Tamim.

" "I just sent Tamim bhai a message," Maharaj said. "I have got a good relationship with him. Obviously we played in the BPL. I just asked for some advice based on conditions and how to go about the business. He gave me a few words in terms of how the wicket would play. It wasn't wrong. He read the wicket to the tee."

Maharaj’s preparation paid off as his spin bowling has been a key weapon for South Africa in this Test. Despite the dominance of South Africa's pace attack, with Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder leading the charge, Maharaj has made his mark as well. He claimed three wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings and has already taken three more in the second innings, proving that the spinner can be just as dangerous on the Mirpur pitch.