Wiaan Mulder, the South African bowling allrounder, slammed his maiden Test century in the ongoing Bangladesh vs South Africa 2nd Test of the series in Chattogram as South Africa continued their scoring spree on October 30 (Wednesday), declaring the first innings on 577-6. Wiaan Mulder’s first Test ton marked a unique achievement, as he became the third player from the same team to score a maiden century in this match. Proteas batters Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs had also reached their respective maiden centuries earlier in Chattogram.
South Africa declared their first innings at a daunting 575-6 thanks to Tony de Zorzi’s 177 and Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten 105, before the tourists reduced Bangladesh to 38-4 on day two of their second test on Wednesday. South Africa have turned the screws on Bangladesh in the second Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Ahmedabad.
At Stumps on Day 2, the hosts found themselves in deep trouble, trailing by 537 runs with six wickets in hand. Yet again, Taijul Islam was the lone fighter for the Tigers after taking a five-wicket haul, but he received very little support from the other end.
Day 2 : Morning Session : Taijul Islam’s fifer helps Bangladesh fight back before lunch
Taijul Islam completed a five-fer on the second morning of the second Test against South Africa as Bangladesh fought back with three wickets in the session. However, South Africa still managed to add over 100 runs to go into the lunch break at 413/5.
Kickstarting the session, David Bedingham was given out in the second over of the day before he managed to overturn it. He then took on Hasan Mahmud and Taijul for a flurry of boundaries to get going whereas overnight centurion Tony de Zorzi brought up his 150 with successive boundaries. Bangladesh were put under the pump once again as the two batters milked the bowling attack.
Bedingham and de Zorzi managed to raise a century stand and in the process, the former brought up his half-century. After the drinks break, de Zorzi smashed a six and a four off back-to-back deliveries to add to the home side’s woes before Taijul brought some smiles back. Having just conceded a six to Bedingham, the spinner had the last laugh as he got his man castled off the very next ball.
Bangladesh capitalized on that opening as Taijul struck in his next over to get rid of the dangerman de Zorzi. Batting on 177, the opener was trapped lbw and even a review couldn’t save him. Taijul made it three wickets in three overs when he trapped Kyle Verreynne lbw in his next over as South Africa went from 386/2 to 391/5 in quick time.
Wiaan Mulder and Ryan Rickelton ensured there was no further damage until the break as the visitors breached 400. But Bangladesh would now pin their hopes on Taijul to cause more damage post lunch with the spinner picking all five wickets to fall so far. Taijul completed his five-for, before Nahid Rana removed Ryan Rickelton. Bangladesh were hopeful of wrapping South Africa up early at the time, but Wiaan Mulder and Muthusamy took South Africa towards a massive total.
Wiaan Mulder and Muthusamy had come together when Bangladesh suddenly grabbed a bit of momentum in the day’s first session. Taijul Islam snapped up David Bedingham, de Zorzi and Verreynne in consecutive overs to give the home team some respite. Bedingham missed a slog-sweep to be bowled, while de Zorzi and Verreynne also missed sweeps to be given out lbw.
Day 2 : Post Lunch Session : Century stand between Wiaan Mulder and Senuran Muthusamy takes South Africa past 500
A century stand between Wiaan Mulder and Senuran Muthusamy for the seventh wicket added to Bangladesh’s agony as South Africa piled on the runs and went past the 500-run mark in the second Test. While Bangladesh appeared to fight back with an early wicket in the session, having already picked three quick wickets just before the break, Wiaan Mulder and Muthusamy ensured the visitors remained in control.
Wiaan Mulder began the session with a boundary first ball but Nahid Rana got the crucial wicket of Ryan Rickelton early. That wicket meant South Africa had lost four wickets in the space of just 37 runs. However, any hopes of Bangladesh keeping South Africa under 475 evaporated quickly as Mulder continued to fetch boundaries.
Despite not adding to the boundary tally, Muthusamy was almost scoring at run-a-ball to keep the scorecard moving. Muthusamy then took on Taijul Islam for a four and a six off successive deliveries to stun the home camp whereas Wiaan Mulder at the other brought up consecutive fifties in the series. South Africa went past the 500 mark in style with Wiaan Mulder slamming Mahmudul Hasan for back-to-back sixes. The multiple bowling changes didn’t work either for the home side as the century stand completely deflated them.
If the first day belonged to de Zorzi and Stubbs, the second day was all about Wiaan Mulder’s century and his partnership with Muthusamy. The pair added 152 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket, breaking South Africa’s record for this wicket against Bangladesh from the previous Test in Dhaka, where Wiaan Mulder and Kyle Verreynne had added 119.
Taijul completed his five-for, before Nahid Rana removed Ryan Rickelton. Bangladesh were hopeful of wrapping South Africa up early at the time, but Mulder and Muthusamy took South Africa towards a massive total. Wiaan Mulder was generally good down the ground, hitting all his eight fours and four sixes between wide long-off and mid-on. Muthusamy fed Wiaan Mulder the strike regularly, but also struck the ball sweetly.
Muthusamy struck two sixes through long-on, apart from fours through mid-off, fine leg and backward point. His ticked boundary through the slips took him to his maiden Test fifty.
Day 3 : Afternoon Session : Kagiso Rabada strikes keeps Ban at 38 for 4 after Wiaan Mulder’s maiden Test ton highlights Day 2
Bangladesh were wrecked in the final session before stumps as South Africa look primed to clinch the second Test having completely dominated proceedings on the second day. The visitors continued to pile on the runs before declaring at 575/6, after which their bowlers breezed through the Bangladesh lineup to leave the hosts reeling at 38/4 by stumps.
South Africa continued from where they had left as David Bedingham took on the scoring duties. He hit a flurry of boundaries before Tony de Zorzi hit successive fours to move past 150. The runs continued to flow even after the drinks break until Taijul Islam finally broke through. The left-arm spinner castled Bedingham after he had gone past fifty and the hosts capitalized on that opening by adding two more wickets in succession to go into the lunch break on a high.
Bangladesh also kickstarted the post-lunch session with another wicket as the visitors lost their last four wickets at that point for just 37 runs. However, any hopes of Bangladesh keeping South Africa under 475 evaporated quickly as Wiaan Mulder now took charge alongside Senuran Muthusamy. Wiaan Mulder helped himself to another fifty in the series whereas Muthusamy made a rapid start as well. The duo put South Africa firmly in control again with a century stand and Muthusamy brought up a fifty immediately after play resumed in the final session.
Newly crowned World No.1 Kagiso Rabada took just five balls to strike as Shadman Islam was strangled down the leg side for a duck. Zakir Hasan was the next to depart as he got an outside edge that was gobbled behind. Dane Paterson and Keshav Maharaj then got into the act by bagging wickets in successive overs that saw Bangladesh get reduced to 32/4 in just 7 overs. Eventually, it was bad light that brought an end to their misery as the players had to head back early like they did on the first day.
Taijul was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with his 14th five-wicket haul, but it was also the team’s most expensive five-for, as he went for 198 runs. Nahid took a wicket, but Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy Hasan Miraz disappointed with their wicketless efforts.
The hosts sunk to 38 for 4 at stumps, as their recent batting frailties showed up even on the batting-friendly pitch of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Even an award of five penalty runs, due to the umpires finding Senuran Muthusamy damaging the pitch, couldn’t inspire Bangladesh.
Kagiso Rabada, recently ranked No. 1 among Test bowlers, had Shadman Islam strangle down the leg side for a duck in the first over. Rabada then removed Zakir Hasan, also caught behind, for 2, in his next over.
Dane Paterson got into the act in the sixth over when Mahmudul Hasan Joy chased a wide ball, and edged to Aiden Markram at second slip. Keshav Maharaj bowled a beauty to night watchman Hasan Mahmud, who missed it completely to be bowled for 3. It completed an amazing day for South Africa, who dominated from start to finish.
Road Ahead on Day 3 for SA and Bangladesh
After Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs racked up their maiden Test hundreds on Day 1, it was Wiaan Mulder’s turn to score one on the second day. De Zorzi, who was not out on 141, went on to score 177 off 269 with 12 fours and four sixes. David Bedingham smashed two fours and four sixes on his way to scoring a quick-fire 59 off 78 balls.
After Taijul took a fifer, Wiaan Mulder and Senuran Muthusamy did not give much to cheer for. The duo put on an unbeaten partnership of 152 runs, after which South Africa declared their innings at 575 for six. Mulder stayed not out on 105 off 150 balls with eight fours and four sixes.
Muthusamy lent support to Wiaan Mulder with an unbeaten 68-run knock. Taijul finished with figures of 52.2-5-198-5, while fast bowler Nahid Rana got the other wicket of Ryan Rickelton. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud toiled hard for 62 overs without making a breakthrough.
Bangladesh did not make the best of starts after Kagiso Rabada dismissed Shadman Islam for a duck in the very first over. Thereafter, Rabada removed Zakir Hasan as the Tigers were reduced to 21 for two in 4.2 overs. Dane Paterson joined the party to get rid of Shadman’s opening partner, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who scored 10 off 21 before finding an outside edge.
Hasan Mahmud came in a night-watchman, but left-armer Keshav Maharaj rattled his woodwork. On Day 3, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque Showrabh have a massive task in hand to give Bangladesh some sort of respectability in their first innings.
Wiaan Mulder became the third maiden centurion for South Africa in the Chattogram Test, as the visitors completely dominated proceedings on the second day. They declared on 575 for 6, with Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs hitting centuries, before their pacers knocked off Bangladesh’s top three inside the first six overs.
Total domination from South Africa on day 2. First they piled on the runs and now have four wickets in just 9 overs of play. The day started well for Bangladesh who with Taijul took 4 quick wickets to bring themselves some joy. That’s when Wiaan Mulder and Muthusamy joined hands and they punished the weary and tired Bangladeshi bowlers. They added 144 for the 7th wicket and soon as Wiaan Mulder got his 100, Markram declared with the total reading 575.
It was going to be a tricky little phase for Bangladesh late on day 2 and they did not handle themselves well at all. First Shadman was caught down the leg-side and then Zakir played loosely outside off to give Rabada a 2nd wicket. Hasan Joy drove at a wide delivery and edged behind to leave Bangladesh three-down.
Hasan Mahmud was sent in as the nightwatchman but he did not last long, cleaned up by a Maharaj beauty and that wicket brought Shanto in. With still 15 overs to go, the light did not hold up and that brought respite to the batters as they walked off. With the light not going to get any better and with the original benchmark set on day 1, the umps took the players off.
A dream day for South Africa and lots of thinking and work for Bangladesh to do. This game is heading the same way as the first one did. Can Bangladesh fight back. There will be an early start – 15 minutes early – on day 3 as play begins at 9:45am local.