South Africa 307 for 2 (de Zorzi 141*, Stubbs 106, Bedingham 18*) vs Bangladesh
Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs both produced their first Test hundreds on a strong day for their team in Chattogram, marking a coming-of-age moment for two of South Africa’s top three. With eight and five Test caps between them, De Zorzi and Stubbs combined for South Africa’s third-highest second-wicket stand in Asia (201), putting the country in a strong position to attempt a series sweep.
With no seam movement, swing, or steep bounce, and only indications of spin to help the home assault, they took full advantage of batter-friendly circumstances. With little resources at their disposal, Bangladesh’s bowlers were only able to silence South Africa intermittently. Of the five-man attack, their tall seamer Nahid Rana was the most impressive. He hit speeds of up to 148 kph but was wicketless. The only bowler to take wickets was Taijul Islam, a left-arm spinner who continued where he left off with a five-for in Mirpur, though Hasan Mahmud may feel unfairly treated. On his way to an undefeated 141, De Zorzi was dropped twice, in 6 and 69.
South Africa got off to a fast start in the morning, with de Zorzi and stand-in captain Aiden Markram scoring 4.6 runs per over in the first hour. When South Africa reached morning drinks on 60 without losing, they each struck four fours and a six. Hasan posed the only danger when he took de Zorzi’s edge with the opening ball of his fourth over, but rookie wicketkeeper Mahidul Islam was unable to hold. After then, Bangladesh started spinning in all directions, which helped Taijul succeed. Markram chipped the ball to Mominul Haque at mid-on after moving down the track to a ball that was not as short as he had expected.
Bangladesh was able to recover the scoring pace after Markram was dismissed. Even though Stubbs played himself out, they managed to hold off giving up a boundary for 21 deliveries. Bangladesh renewed the grip after he reverse-swept Mehidy Hasan Miraz behind point, which gave him his first four. Before de Zorzi’s magnificent cover drive reached South Africa’s hundred, another twenty-eight balls were bowled for just fourteen runs. De Zorzi arrived in the over following the break, one run short from a third Test fifty.
South Africa struggled in the afternoon session’s opening exchanges, navigating Rana’s pace and Taijul’s meager quantities of appropriate spin while going 91 deliveries between boundaries. Nahid stuck to back-of-a-length balls that were challenging to get away from, and his lengths were better than the fuller ones he used in the morning. However, he failed to get a wicket. Mahmud ought to have had something to show for his efforts instead. He pulled de Zorzi forward once again and seized the lead, but Shadman Islam missed the opportunity at first slip. After lunch, de Zorzi and South Africa survived a stretch in which they managed just 34 runs in 13 overs before things started to pick up steam for them.
32 runs were scored at a healthier pace during the next eight overs, and Stubbs reached his second Test fifty. After hitting Mehidy over the sightscreen for six, Stubbs gained confidence, and de Zorzi entered the nineties by hitting Taijul over long-on. With a sweep shot off Mehidy via square leg, De Zorzi reached his hundred. The dug out, which included injured captain Temba Bavuma, cheered him on as he celebrated. After Bavuma, De Zorzi is the only other black South African batsman to reach a hundred runs in a Test match.
After tea, Stubbs took 25 of the first 30 deliveries while de Zorzi battled cramps, and he did it with good intentions. His treatment of Mehidy was especially harsh; he reverse-swept him for four to get him close to the nineties and knuckle down, then he charged him twice for six. Stubbs spent 39 balls moving from 88 to 100 as the partnership calmed down as De Zorzi found it difficult to run between the wickets. Everyone in the South African camp gave him a standing ovation after he made a single to deep point.
With almost 30 minutes of play remaining in the day, Taijul bowled Stubbs in the following over with a delivery that stayed low. As Bangladesh awaited the second new ball, South Africa took that as permission to attack, and de Zorzi and David Bedingham played freely, scoring 34 runs in the six overs that followed. Additionally, Najmul Hossain Shanto, their captain, was absent during that time due to what appeared to be an illness. When the second new ball was available, Taijul seized it and took the lead while he was away. Before the players were dismissed for terrible light, Mehidy bowled one over with it; de Zorzi received the day’s honors.
Only two of South Africa’s specialized batters had played on the subcontinent before this series began, and only one, Markram, had scored a century in Asia. They were further deprived of experience when the other, Bavuma, was forced to miss the series due to an injury. Four hitters who have scored hundreds in the subcontinent are in the starting lineup for the Test and the first day of the series.
