Despite a tremendous bowling display by the left-arm Bangaldshi spinner Taijul Islam, who bagged six wickets in Port Elizabeth, the hosts South Africa posted a huge total of 453 in the first innings of the second Test of the two-match series.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first.
Four batters of the hosts’ side have hit a fifty each. Keshav Maharaj scored 84- the highest by any South African batter in this Test so far.
The other batters who have hit the fifties are Dean Elgar, Keegan Petersen and Temba Bavuma.
At the end of day one, South Africa were at 278 for five. They added 175 more runs to their overnight total, losing five more wickets.
Taking six wickets for 135, Taijul recorded his maiden five-for against South Africa. He had only a wicket from his first two Tests against the Proteas. It was the 10th five-for for Taijul in the longer format of international cricket.
After Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul is now the second Bangladeshi spinner to have registered a five-for on the soil of SENA countries- South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia.
And at the same time, Taijul is now the second Bangladeshi bowler to have tasted five-fors in Test at least 10 times. The first bowler is Shakib who has 18 five-fors under his belt.
South Africa resumed the day on 278-5 but lost last recognized batter Kyle Verreynne just six overs after the start of the day.
The session started off with drama as Khaled threw the ball at Verreynne when the batter was inside the crease and things got heated for a while.
But soon after Khaled rattled his stump to dismiss him for 22 as South Africa were reduced to 300-6. Khaled roared in Verreynne’s face after getting the wicket, to complicate the things further.
Bangladesh were sensing a chance to wrap up South African innings quickly after Verreynne wicket but Maharaj resisted in a way that Bangladesh hardly imagined.
He got the support in overnight unbeaten batter Wiaan Mulder and together they added 80-run for the seventh wicket stand to keep Bangladesh at bay for large part of the morning session.
South Africa are leading the series 0-1. In the first match in Durban, they won by 220 runs following a miserable batting display by the visitors who had tumbled for 53.
