Bangladesh ended the day at 101-3 in their second innings against South Africa, needing 101 more runs to avoid an innings defeat. The team faced early setbacks, losing two wickets to Kagiso Rabada, who achieved a significant milestone by becoming the fastest player to reach 300 Test wickets. Mushfiqur Rahim celebrated a personal achievement by surpassing 6,000 career Test runs, while South Africa’s first innings concluded at 308, led by Kyle Verreynne’s century.

In the ongoing first Test match against South Africa, Bangladesh faced a daunting challenge on Tuesday as they concluded the day at 101-3, still requiring an additional 101 runs to avoid an innings defeat. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mushfiqur Rahim remained unbeaten at 38 and 31 respectively, and their partnership of 42 runs for the fourth wicket marked a significant milestone for Mushfiqur, who became the first Bangladeshi batsman to surpass 6,000 runs in Test cricket. Bangladesh’s batting woes began early in the innings, losing both Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque to South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada. Shadman was dismissed for a mere one run, caught at short leg in the third over, and Mominul followed shortly thereafter, departing without scoring as Wiaan Mulder took a sharp catch at third slip. This situation left Bangladesh struggling at 19-2 before the tea break. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto attempted to stabilize the innings but fell lbw to Keshav Maharaj after a laborious innings of 23 runs off 49 balls. Notably, Bangladesh would have lost a fourth wicket just before the end of the day when Mahmudul nearly faced stumping after attempting an overly aggressive shot. In South Africa’s first innings, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne scored a century, contributing significantly to their total of 308. Verreynne was the last man out, having struck eight boundaries and two sixes during his knock of 114 runs. His partnership of 119 runs with Wiaan Mulder (54 runs) for the seventh wicket proved crucial, especially as they resumed play at a precarious 140-6. On the bowling front for Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud achieved notable success, taking two wickets in two balls during the 65th over, despite a challenging morning session for the team that saw South Africa add 103 runs. Hasan concluded with figures of 3-66, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz supported with 2-63. Rabada, who achieved the impressive feat of being the fastest bowler to reach 300 Test wickets, claimed victories in Bangladesh’s first innings as they collapsed after opting to bat first. Additionally, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam entered the 200 Test wickets club, becoming just the second Bangladeshi to achieve this milestone after Shakib Al Hasan. Bangladesh has never triumphed over South Africa in a Test match, with the second match of the two-match series scheduled to commence in Chattogram on October 29.

The current Test series between Bangladesh and South Africa has garnered significant attention, particularly as Bangladesh seeks to improve their performance against a formidable opponent from the cricketing elite. The match underlines the ongoing challenges faced by Bangladesh cricket, including the difficulty of achieving victories against historically strong teams like South Africa. Following their dismal batting display in the first innings, which ended with just 106 runs, the team’s resilience is being tested in their second innings as they fight to avoid an innings defeat. Records being set during this Test, including player milestones such as Mushfiqur Rahim’s achievement of 6,000 Test runs and Rabada’s rapid ascent to 300 wickets, define the competitive nature of the match.

In summary, Bangladesh finds themselves in a precarious state at 101-3 after a challenging day’s play against South Africa in Mirpur. With their batting lineup facing significant pressure to avert an innings defeat, the performance of Joy and Rahim becomes critical. South Africa has secured a considerable lead with a total of 308 runs, heavily supported by Verreynne’s century. As the match progresses into its later stages, the focus remains on whether Bangladesh can recover and produce a fight worthy of their cricketing ambitions.

Original Source: www.rfi.fr