As the third day of the Mirpur Test came to a close, Bangladesh managed to secure an 81-run lead, turning the game into an unexpected battle after facing the threat of an innings defeat. With three wickets still in hand, Bangladesh’s hopes now rest on the shoulders of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who remains unbeaten on a resilient 87, following a critical partnership with Zakir Hasan Ali, who scored 58. South Africa, however, aims for a quick finish, with spinner Keshav Maharaj eager to wrap up Bangladesh's second innings early on Day 4.

Speaking at the post-day press conference, Maharaj expressed the Proteas' intent: "Look, ideally we'd like to restrict Bangladesh to 100 or below, but it's important that we start well in the morning and then assess from there. It's nice to get a marathon spell out of the belt. I love bowling. We should get a little bit less cut balls at the start of the spell, but I think I settled in quite nicely. When the ball got a little bit older, there wasn't much reaction from the wicket so I tried to keep it as tight as possible."

Despite bowling long spells, Maharaj embraced his role as a key spinner. "My job at that stage was to try and hold up an end, and then when the switch came, I posed a little bit more when the ball started to spin. I think as a spinner you want to allow yourself to settle in and get those long spells on a wicket like this, knowing that there is a ball that will turn and be in your favour. Luckily enough, towards the back end in the middle of my spell, I got some reward from that," he added.