On the first evening, it appeared like almost every ball turned and caused problems for South Africa‘s hitters. However, Wiaan Mulder and Kyle Verreynne had gone through with relative ease, adding 32 to head into stumps without suffering any more damage. However, the same pitch appeared to have settled well for batting by the second morning. After applying themselves resolutely to Bangladesh’s spinners, Verreynne and Mulder ultimately took their seventh-wicket partnership to a crucial 119.
The pace and reverse swing of Hasan Mahmud. However, was what gave Bangladesh their only two wickets of the session even as the threat of three spinners loomed. By lunchtime, though, South Africa had already swept to a 137-run advantage, with Verreynne undefeated at 77.
Taijul Islam and Mahmud began Bangladesh’s second day of bowling together. Even though Verreynne appeared particularly confident against Mahmud, pushing him past mid-on for three in the day’s second over before clipping and driving him for boundaries two overs later, the left-arm spinner had virtually little turn.
In the 46th over, Taijul had Mulder prodding, but the outside edge missed slip. That was due as much to Mulder’s use of gentle hands as it was to the surface’s slowness. Both Taijul and offspinner Nayeem Hasan were easily defeated by Mulder and Verreynne, who adapted well on the pitch.
Verreynne and Mulder
Even though Nayeem occasionally turned the ball in noticeably, both batters made excellent use of the sweeps and the reverse sweep. That was due to their comfortably putting the ball away after they had reached the pitch of the deliveries with a nice stride. On the second morning, Verreynne and Mulder smashed 45 runs, including seven boundaries, off Taijul, Nayeem, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz by playing the sweep or the reverse sweep off 28 deliveries.
The batters were unable to collect comfortable singles from the sweep because Bangladesh put a guy close in at square leg. But Verreynne reached fifty by hitting a one to the man located there. When Mulder hit Nayeem for four behind point at the beginning of the 64th over, he reached his first Test half-century.
Najmul Hossain Shanto only called Mahmud back into the attack in the over prior to that, and Mahmud then struck back-to-back in the over immediately following. He started by pitching on a length of back outside off, and the ball held its line. Mulder attempted a punch. But missed by a narrow margin on 54. Mahmud went considerably fuller on the next ball, turning the ball into Keshav Maharaj and uprooting it off the stump after beating his defence.
However, No. 10 Dane Piedt blocked and pushed Verreynne’s way at the other end, keeping him undefeated into the lunch break.
