1. Match Summary
Venue: Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur, Bangladesh.
Teams: Bangladesh vs South Africa.
Occasion: It is the first Test of a two-match series and the first ever Test played by both teams on Bangladeshi soil after a long gap of 10 years.
Toss: Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first.
2. Bangladesh Heavy Dependence on Spinners
Bangladesh chose to bat first: Their reliance on spin lies at the core of their bowling with a line-up of three spinners in Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Nayeem Hasan.
The team limited themselves to just one specialist pacer in Hasan Mahmud, which reflected their confidence that the wicket would respond well and will turn and bounce significantly in the latter stages of the game.
Bangladesh have fiddled a bit with their batting order: Mahmudul Hasan Joy comes in for Zakir Hasan, who has been replaced as an opener. Pacer Jaker Ali will make his Test debut in place of injured Shakib Al Hasan.
3. South Africa’s Bowling Attack
South Africa have opted for a relatively more pace-friendly combination; Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder form the core, along with two frontline spinners in Keshav Maharaj and Dane Piedt.
This was to be their winning combination as the Proteas exploited the mornings by breakthroughs from the pacers early on.
4. Wiaan Mulder’s Destruction Spell
It is set by Mulder: South Africa seamer Wiaan Mulder was in top form during the first session, delivering a devastating opening spell.
He struck in his very first over, dismissing opener Shadman Islam for a duck. Shadman edged a loose delivery straight into the hands of Aiden Markram at slip, leaving Bangladesh at 1-1.
Mulder continued to torment the hosts, dismissing Mominul Haque for 4. Despite surviving an earlier LBW appeal, Mominul was soon caught behind by the wicketkeeper, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 12-2 inside four overs.
His third was Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who came down the track to attempt a flick towards leg side but got a leading edge that went to Keshav Maharaj at short mid-off. Bangladesh were then reduced to 21-3 within six overs.
5. Kagiso Rabada’s 300th Test Wicket
Milestone moment for Rabada: As if the intent of Mulder was just enough, it was Rabada who came in and struck to send back Bangladesh’s experienced batsman Mushfiqur Rahim for 11. It was Rabada’s 300th Test wicket as he clean bowled Mushfiqur with a delivery darting in and breaking through his defenses.
That such a significant milestone has been celebrated is because Rabada became one of the fewest bowlers in history to reach the 300-wicket landmark, and the effort left Bangladesh at 40-4.
Rabada wasnt done yet. He continued to add further pressure and dismissed Liton Das for 1, caught at slip by Aiden Markram. Bangladesh was now 45-5.
6. Bangladesh’s Struggles Continue
Helpless Joy: Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy, despite escaping the mayhem on the other end, couldn’t make the best out of the falling wickets around him. He batted responsibly and took the team to lunch without losing his wicket, scoring 16 off 86 balls. It was his defensive play that went well for Bangladesh in a session dominated by South Africa’s pacers.
Joy saw Bangladesh’s middle order succumb without a murmur as the team went into lunch with the scoreboard reading 60-6.
7. Timely Breakthrough by Keshav Maharaj
Maharaj strikes with spin: South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj made an important contribution just before lunch, trapping Mehedi Hasan Miraz LBW for 13. Mehedi’s dismissal on the last ball of the session pushed Bangladesh further into trouble at 60-6.
8. Post-Lunch Scenario
Jaker Ali’s first game: Expect to see debutant Jaker Ali at the crease along with Mahmudul Hasan Joy over lunch. Almost all hope seems to be left on this duo to take Bangladesh out of this precarious situation.
Bangladesh will have immense pressure to rebuild a competitive first-innings score as it has four wickets in hand.
9. Players to Watch out for South Africa
Wiaan Mulder: His phenomenal first session figures of 3-11 in 6 overs, which testified to his movement of the ball and the disarray he caused with Bangladesh’s top order.
Kagiso Rabada: Not only had he reached a personal milestone in claiming his 300th wicket, but his accuracy and pace kept Bangladesh under constant pressure. At lunch, he was 2-27 in 8 overs.
Keshav Maharaj: While the spinners were to make their presence felt in the last few overs of the game, Maharaj’s contribution at the fag end of the first session before lunch proved to be incisive. He ended with 1-13 in 4 overs.
10. Bangladesh’s Job After Lunch
Bangladesh’s immediate task after lunch would be to revive their innings and avoid further collapse. They would be looking forward to Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Jaker Ali to put some respectability into the partnership and bat as long as they could.
Tail-end resistance: Bangladesh having a spin-heavy lower order restricts the batting depth for the middle order, and this should consciously play out the second session.
11. Conclusion: South Africa in Command
South Africa surely dominated the morning session as the pacers did the most damage. With going with a spin-heavy lineup and batting first, the Bangladesh decision backfired in the early exchanges.
The hosts are now in a vulnerable position, and unless their batters can put up a strong resistance post-lunch, South Africa would be in the driver’s seat to control rest of the match.
Score at Lunch: Bangladesh 60-6 in 25.4 overs.