After reaching 101-3 at stumps and still needing another 101 to escape an innings loss, Bangladesh was fighting to salvage the opening Test match against South Africa on Tuesday. After play at Mirpur, Mahmudul Hasan Joy (38), and Mushfiqur Rahim (31) were undefeated. Mushfiqur became the first Bangladeshi player to reach 6,000 lifetime Test runs with their 42-run partnership for the fourth wicket. After South Africa was dismissed for 308 in their opening innings, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne’s century gave the visitors a 202-run lead.
Bangladesh Fight To Prevent Innings Defeat After Stunning Century By South Africa’s Kyle Verreynne”It is probably the toughest conditions I have played under regarding heat and humidity,” South Africa centurion Kyle Verreynne said.NDTV Sports DeskUpdated: October 22, 2024, 06:47 PM ISTRead Time: 3 min
Bangladesh Fight To Prevent Innings Defeat After Stunning Century By South Africa’s Kyle Verreynne
After hitting a century against Bangladesh, Kyle Verreynne celebrates.© AFP After reaching 101-3 at stumps and still needing another 101 to escape an innings loss, Bangladesh was fighting to salvage the opening Test match against South Africa on Tuesday. At the conclusion of play at Mirpur, Mahmudul Hasan Joy (38), and Mushfiqur Rahim (31) were undefeated. Mushfiqur became the first Bangladeshi player to reach 6,000 lifetime Test runs with their 42-run partnership for the fourth wicket. After South Africa was dismissed for 308 in their opening innings, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne’s century gave the visitors a 202-run lead.
“It is probably the toughest conditions I have played under regarding heat and humidity,” Verreynne said.
“Ninety per cent of that innings was just against spin. Things happen quickly. You don’t have much time to reset from a concentration point of view. This was certainly my most rewarding inning.”
Bangladesh lost two early wickets to quick Kagiso Rabada in reply with Shadman Islam first to go, caught at short leg for one in the third over.
Three balls later, Mominul Haque edged, and Wiaan Mulder took a sharp catch at third slip for nought, leaving the hosts dangling on 19-2 before tea.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto fell lbw to Keshav Maharaj after a gruelling 23 off 49 balls.
Bangladesh would have lost another wicket off the last ball of the day if Mahmudul had not gone for a wild slog and missed the ball, avoiding a stumping in the nick of time.
Verreynne was the last man out in South Africa’s first innings after scoring eight fours and two sixes in his 114.
He put on 119 for the seventh wicket with Mulder, who made 54, in reply to Bangladesh’s first innings of 106.
It was South Africa’s highest seventh-wicket stand against Bangladesh after the pair resumed at 140-6 at the start of play.
Dane Piedt, dismissed lbw for 32 by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, partnered Verreynne in a stand of 66 runs for the ninth wicket.
Bangladesh quick bowler Hasan Mahmud took two wickets in two balls in the 65th over, the only spot of brightness in a morning session where South Africa added 103.
“Test cricket is like that,” Hasan said when asked how the hosts had conceded 200 runs for the last four wickets.
“Bowlers’ attention switches to controlling the run flow and applying pressure to the batters in certain circumstances. It all comes down to following the fundamentals.
When Verreynne was stumped after facing 144 balls, Hasan’s 3-66 and Mehidy’s 2-63 concluded the innings.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Bangladesh fell apart, as Rabada became the fastest player to reach 300 Test wickets on Monday.
After Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam, a left-arm spinner, became the second Bangladeshi player to reach 200 Test wickets with a 5-122 final.
The second of the two-match series starts in Chattogram on October 29. South Africa has never defeated Bangladesh in a Test match.
