South Africa 308 need 106 runs to win vs Bangladesh 106 and 307 (Mehidy 97, Jaker 40, Rabada 6-46, Maharaj 3-105).
SA bowled their hosts out for 307 in Mirpur, and now needs 106 runs to defeat Bangladesh in the opening Test match. On the first morning and during the first half hour of play, South Africa claimed the final three wickets in 4.5 overs. As Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the final player to fall, three runs shy of a second Test century, Bangladesh added 24 runs to their overnight total.
South Africa chose to employ spinners with the old ball rather than taking a new one. But they had it accessible as soon as play started. On day three, bad light forced an early halt to play. Things got underway with almost immediate success thanks to Kagiso Rabada. When his third ball crashed into Nayeem Hasan and struck him on the front pad, Rabada recorded his 15th Test five-for. Rabada made the game unforgettable by taking his 300th wicket.
Rabada
Mehidy’s boundary off Wiaan Mulder put him in the ninety. But Rabada, Who teased the outside edge and forced an overhead flick that Tony de Zorzi dropped, tested him. Taijul Islam struck Wiaan Mulder into a gully to elevate Bangladesh’s score to 300. But his good time was short-lived. After two balls, he left Mehidy with the final batter after feathering one to second slip. He attempted to ramp Rabada. But the length was not quite correct. So he sent a catch to slip instead. He was on 97 and in a hurry to reach his hundred. Rabada had a 6 for 46 final.
South Africa had only four bowling options going into the match, and stand-in captain Aiden Markram decided not to deploy himself. They may have been worried about their resources on a surface that was better suited for batting. Bangladesh will feel they have something to defend after barely eking over. They were hoping to keep the target to less than 100 on a field with bounce and lots of spin.
