South Africa 527 for 6 (Mulder 78*, Muthusamy 47*, Taijul 5-186) vs Bangladesh
South Africa continued their aggression into the second session of the Chattogram Test and pile the misery on Bangladesh. They added 114 runs to their lunch time total, as they crossed the 500-mark for the first time since 2020.
The visitors kicked off the aggressive session with a boundary, Mulder smashing Taijul past mid-on. Nahid Rana shot back quickly with Ryan Rickelton’s wicket in the fourth over of the session, but that was Bangladesh’s only success in the post-lunch period.
Mulder crashed Nahid for two fours before he went over mid-off against Mehidy. Muthusamy then hit Taijul for a four and a six off successive balls, before Mulder again threaded the covers for a four against Mehidy. He lifted part-timer Mahmudul Hasan Joy for two sixes before Muthusamy cracked a slog-sweep for his first second six.
The first day belonged completely to South Africa who predictably decided to bat first after Aiden Markram won the toss. Although he fell shortly after the hour-mark in the Test, de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs gave the visitors an excellent platform. They smothered Bangladesh’s spinners with the sweep and reverse sweep, apart from playing straight. Both de Zorzi and Stubbs reached their maiden hundreds. Bangladesh suffered as Taijul – the sole wicket-taker – apart, the bowlers, especially Mehidy Hasan Miraz, were blunted quite skillfully.
