Proteas hold small advantage after Rabada reaches Test landmark

Midway through the first session, as Aiden Markram walked back to the changeroom after being bowled, one of the locals uttered: “This game won’t reach day 5.”

It wasn’t exactly prophetic, given that Markram’s was the 11th wicket of the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh.

That the pitch at the Sher-e Bangla Stadium in Dhaka offered so much assistance to the spinners wasn’t a surprise, given SA’s record on the subcontinent in the past decade. However, what was unexpected was the amount of benefit the quicks were able to achieve. 

By stumps 16 wickets had fallen and SA, who reached 140/6, had built a lead of 34 runs, which, minuscule as it may be, will be valuable on a wearing surface. 

Of those first-day dismissals, seven went to the seamers, including Kagiso Rabada notably becoming the sixth South African to reach 300 wickets in Tests. 

The Proteas, while pleased with the bowling and to have built a lead by the time the umpires decided to bring a premature end to the day’s proceedings because of bad light, will be aware their position is far from dominant. 

Taijul Islam picked up 5/49, achieving his own notable milestone in becoming only the second Bangladesh bowler to take 200 Test wickets.   

Before he had tied the Proteas in knots, the home team were dismantled by a disciplined SA bowling unit who shot them out for 106 after Najmul Shanto won the toss. 

“There are no secrets here, we also wanted to bat first, but we get first use of the conditions so we must make that count,” said Markram before play started. 

Wiaan Mulder did that, taking wickets in each of his first three overs, making excellent use of a new ball that nipped around and swung. 

Rabada’s treasured moment arrived just after morning drinks — and it was a spectacular sight, with Mushfiqur Rahim’s stumps flying out of the ground thanks to a magnificent delivery that shot back viciously from outside the off-stump. 

The 29-year-old’s historic achievement was given added lustre by him reaching the landmark with the best strike rate (balls bowled per wicket taken) of any bowler to reach 300 wickets. Rabada averages 39.3 balls per wicket, with Dale Steyn the next best at 42.3. He broke former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis’s record of 12,602 balls to reach the mark, achieving it in 11,187.

While that was undoubtedly the highlight of the day for the visitors, it carried extra value in that it was part of a display in which all four bowlers picked up wickets and had a part in negating the advantage Bangladesh thought they gained from winning the toss. 

Rabada, Mulder and Keshav Maharaj took three wickets apiece, while Dane Piedt dismissed Bangladesh’s top scorer Mahmudul Hasan Joy for 30. 

SA would have been aware the new ball was a threat, even against a Bangladesh containing just one seamer. Markram, captaining for the first time in a Test because of Temba Bavuma’s arm injury, lasted just five balls. 

Hasan Mahmud got the ball to straighten off the surface, clipping the top of the off-bail to send Markram on his way for six. 

Partnerships of 41, 22 and 27 followed as the Proteas sought to make inroads, but as well as Tony de Zorzi and later Ryan Rickelton played, the spectre of a “ball with your name on it” was never far away. 

Taijul had the requisite experience to take advantage of a dry and spinning surface, forcing errors of judgment from Tristan Stubbs, who was stuck on the crease and edged to slip, and debutant Matthew Breetzke, who didn’t read a straight ball and watched his off-stump flattened while raising his bat above his head. 

De Zorzi worked hard for his 30 but was caught off the pad, playing back to a nasty ball that ripped out of the rough.

Rickelton, who batted positively to score 27, played for turn and was caught off the edge by wicketkeeper Litton Das. 

Kyle Verreynne and Mulder added an unbeaten 32 runs for the seventh wicket, a partnership the Proteas hope can continue to grow as they search for a big lead on Tuesday’s day 2.