Towhid Hridoy continued his purple patch and stood up for Bangladesh when they were in crisis. After South Africa reduced the visitors to 22/3 in the first 10 overs of the game, it was Towhid Hridoy who walked in and held the fort with his majestic 2nd Test ton scoring 137 runs before being dismissed off the final ball of the day. He was ably supported by Tanzid Hasan who scored 67 while Litton Das is unbeaten on 92 off 138 balls as Bangladesh ended the day at 327/6 in 84 overs in a dominant position.
For South Africa, it was a one-man show as Kagiso Rabada picked up a 5-wicket haul and the first 5 wickets while Marco Jansen picked up the other wicket that of Hridoy in the last ball of the day. South Africa started well when they had Bangladesh at 22/3 but are now behind and have work to do come tomorrow i.e. Day 2 on the back foot.
Kagiso Rabada’s triple strike rocks Bangladesh before the visitors fight back in an absorbing morning session.Â
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, debutant Mahfijul Islam and Tanzid Hasan came out to open the batting for Bangladesh while Kagiso Rabada had the new ball in hand for South Africa. Rabada gave the Proteas a perfect start as he removed Islam the debutant first ball of the Test match for a golden duck with the ball getting the outside edge to the gully fielder. Mominul Haque came out to bat next as Rabada completed a wicket maiden over.
Marco Jansen shared the new ball from the other end and bowled a decent over. Rabada continued and induced the outside edge of Mominul to the keeper Rickelton who did the rest as he fell for a 7-ball duck. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto came out to bat next and got off the mark with a delightful cover drive through cover point for a boundary. Jansen continued and bowled a quiet over. Rabada continued and bowled a probing over. Jansen too kept it tight.
Rabada continued as Shanto took him on with a drive past mid-off for a boundary and then pushed the ball through covers for another boundary. Dane Paterson came into the attack next. He bowled a probing first over to start his spell. Rabada continued and struck again as he removed Shanto the skipper for 12 off 23 balls with 2 fours to his name as the off-stump was knocked over by Rabada. Towhid Hridoy came out to bat next as another wicket maiden came to an end.
Paterson continued and bowled a maiden as Bangladesh were in a spot of bother at 22/3 in 10 overs. Rabada continued and kept things tight. Paterson continued as Tanzid drove it past the bowler for a boundary. Jansen continued as Tanzid guided it past gully for a boundary. Tanzid then got a leading edge that flew over backward point for a boundary as he looked to play leg side. Bangladesh were 37/3 in 13 overs when we paused for Drinks in the morning session.
Paterson continued after the break and bowled a quiet over. Jansen continued and bowled a maiden. Wiaan Mulder came into the attack next. Tanzid drove it down past covers from the middle of the bat for a boundary. Jansen continued as Tanzid slashed it away past backward point for a boundary. The 50 came up for Bangladesh in 17 overs. Mulder continued as Hridoy cut the ball away past backward point for a boundary. Jansen continued and bowled a decent over. Mulder continued as Hridoy got the outside edge past third slip for a boundary.
Hridoy managed to get a triple as he played it with soft hands past gully region. Jansen continued as Tanzid crunched it away with a slap past backward point for a boundary. Mulder continued as the 50-run stand came up between the duo. Paterson returned to the attack as Tanzid used his feet and swung through the line to pump it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Spin was introduced next as Simon Harmer came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over.
Paterson continued and bowled a maiden over. Harmer continued as Tanzid walked across and got down on one knee and swept it past short fine leg for a boundary to reach his fifty in 79 balls. Bangladesh reached 91/3 in 26 overs with Tanzid unbeaten on 51 off 82 balls alongside Hridoy who was unbeaten on 23 off 43 balls as the players left the field for Lunch on Day 1 at Johannesburg.
Kagiso Rabada completes his 5-wicket haul while Towhid Hridoy’s half-century keeps Bangladesh steady in the afternoon session.Â
Tanzid Hasan and Towhid Hridoy came out to resume proceedings for Bangladesh while Kagiso Rabada had the ball in hand for South Africa. Tanzid made his intentions clear as he sliced it past backward point for a boundary. Dane Paterson had the ball in hand from the other end after Lunch. He bowled a maiden. Rabada continued as Hridoy drove it to covers for a triple as the 100 came up for Bangladesh in 28.4 overs. Paterson continued as Hridoy used his wrists and whipped it to midwicket for a boundary.
Rabada continued and bowled a quiet over. Paterson continued as Tanzid used his feet and slapped it past mid-off for a boundary. Rabada continued as Tanzid drove it handsomely past point and cover for a boundary. Paterson continued and conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Rabada continued and broke the 99-run stand as he dismissed Tanzid for 67 off 108 balls with 12 fours to his name as the batter dragged one onto the stumps. Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim came out to bat next. Rahim was gone first ball for a golden duck as the edge carried to third slip with Harmer taking the catch.
Litton Das came out to bat next and survived the hat-trick ball. He got off the mark soon. Paterson continued and bowled a probing maiden over. Marco Jansen returned to the bowling attack as Litton pulled it away past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Wiaan Mulder returned and bowled a decent over. Jansen continued as Das placed the ball with a swivel pull past midwicket for a boundary. Bangladesh reached 133/5 in 39 overs when we paused for Drinks in the afternoon session.
Wiaan Mulder continued after the break as Hridoy pulled it away past mid-on for a boundary. Jansen continued from the other end and bowled a maiden. Simon Harmer returned as Das walked across and got down to sweep along the ground for a boundary to backward square leg. Jansen continued as Hridoy went back and walked across to ride the bounce past backward square leg with a swivel pull to deep backward square leg for a boundary. The 150 came up for Bangladesh in 42.1 overs.
Harmer continued and bowled a tight over. Jansen continued as Hridoy sliced it away past backward point for a boundary. Hridoy reached his fifty in 99 balls, his second Test fifty as his purple patch continued in Tests. Harmer continued as Hridoy used his feet and drove it between cover and mid-off for a boundary. Mulder returned as Das used his feet and punched it through cover point for a boundary. Harmer continued as the 50-run stand came up between the duo. Mulder continued and bowled a tight over.
Harmer continued and kept things tight. Mulder continued and bowled a decent over. Harmer continued and bowled a decent over. Mulder continued and bowled a tight over as well. Bangladesh reached 184/5 in 53 overs with Hridoy unbeaten on 66 off 126 balls alongside Litton unbeaten on 30 off 52 balls as the players left the field for Tea on Day 1 at Johannesburg.
Towhid Hridoy & Litton Das pulverise South Africa in the final session before Hridoy falls on the last ball of the day.Â
Towhid Hridoy and Litton Das came out to resume proceedings after Tea while Dane Paterson had the ball in hand for South Africa. Litton started the session with a drive straight down the ground for a boundary. Kagiso Rabada had the ball in hand from the other end. South Africa have burnt a review against Hridoy as the impact was outside the off-stump. The ball went away for 4 leg byes. Paterson continued and gifted 4 byes to the batting side as the 200 came up for Bangladesh in 55.3 overs.
Rabada continued as Das pulled it away past square leg for a boundary after Rabada conceded a wide. Paterson continued as Hridoy looked to defend and got a thick outside edge past gully for a boundary. Litton got the outside edge as the ball went past gully for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between the duo. Rabada and South Africa burnt another DRS against Hridoy as they were down to a single review now. Rabada kept things tight.
Paterson continued and bowled a decent over. Rabada continued as Das got the outside edge past gully for a boundary as Litton reached his fifty in 71 balls. Simon Harmer returned to the attack as Das walked across and got down as he swept it to deep midwicket for a boundary. Litton used his feet and whipped it away past midwicket for a boundary. Marco Jansen returned and bowled a probing over. Harmer continued and bowled a better over.
Bangladesh were 245/5 in 64 overs when we had the first Drinks Break in the final session. Jansen continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Wiaan Mulder returned as Das drove the ball through the covers for a boundary as the 250 came up for Bangladesh in 65.2 overs. Jansen continued and bowled a tight over. Mulder continued and bowled a decent over. Simon Harmer returned and bowled a decent over. Mulder continued and kept things tight.
Harmer continued and bowled a decent over. Mulder continued and kept the runs under check. Harmer continued as the 150-run stand came up between the two players. Mulder continued and kept things under check again. Harmer continued and bowled a quiet over again. Bangladesh reached 277/5 in 75 overs when we paused again for the final Drinks Break of the day.
Dane Paterson returned after the break as Hridoy pressed back and slapped it past gully fielder for a boundary to bring up his 2nd Test hundred in 194 balls. Harmer continued as Hridoy backed away and made room to drill it to sweeper cover for a boundary. Hridoy survived a run out check as he dived to save himself at the bowler’s end. Paterson continued as Hridoy got the outside edge while flicking it and the ball went past gully for a boundary. Hridoy slashed it over second slip fielder for a boundary as the bowler overstepped as well.
The 300 came up for Bangladesh in 78 overs. Harmer continued as Hridoy took on Harmer and swung through the line and launched it over long-on for the maximum and then slashed it away past backward point for a boundary. Hridoy then slog swept it over midwicket for a boundary. Litton got into the act as he paddle swept it past deep fine leg for a boundary.
Aiden Markram came into the attack as play started to pause now due to cramps and injuries to the batters. Markram bowled a tight over as Bangladesh reached 320/5 in 80 overs as the second new ball was available and taken straightaway. Rabada came back into the attack with the second new ball and bowled a miserly over. Marco Jansen Jansen came back into the attack with the second new ball as the 200-run stand came up between the duo.
Hridoy got hit on the left hip bone and was treated by the physio taking time out of the day. Jansen completed a decent over. Rabada continued as Hridoy needed some more treatment which frustrated the Proteas. But the umpires were controlling things there.
Jansen came to bowl what was the last over of the day and on the last ball of the day he trapped Hridoy in front LBW for 137 off 227 balls with 14 fours and one six to his name. Hridoy reviewed in hope and burnt a review for his side. Litton Das was unbeaten on 92 off 138 balls with 12 fours to his name as Bangladesh ended the day in command at 327/6 in 84 overs. 19 extras given by the hosts.
For South Africa’s point of view, it was the Kagiso Rabada show as the speedster finished with 5/51 in 17 overs. Marco Jansen finished with 1/54 in 18 overs. Dane Paterson finished with 0/68 in 17 overs. Wiaan Mulder finished with 0/53 in 15 overs. Simon Harmer finished with 0/83 in 16 overs. Aiden Markram bowled an over for 1 run. Bangladesh on top at Stumps on Day 1 at Wanderers.
What Lies Ahead on Day 2.Â
The late wicket of Towhid Hridoy will lift South Africa a bit. Having said that, Bangladesh had the better of the day and they will hope to continue their good work tomorrow. Litton Das will be the senior partner come Day 2 and he will be joined by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The aim will be to get 400+ from here. South Africa will hope to make inroads and limit the visitors under 350. An exciting Day 2 awaits us weather permitting at Johannesburg.
Let’s see what Day 2 has in-store for us at the Wanderers,
Also Read:Â SA VS BAN: South Africa Aims To Topple Bangladesh.