Image Credit- Getty
On the first evening, it appeared like almost every ball turned and caused problems for South Africa’s hitters. However, Wiaan Mulder and Kyle Verreynne had gone through with relative ease, adding 32 to head into stumps without suffering any more damage. However, the same pitch appeared to have settled well for batting by the second morning. Mulder and Verreynne put up a strong fight against Bangladesh’s spinners, ultimately extending their seventh-wicket partnership to a commanding 119.
The pace and reverse swing of Hasan Mahmud, however, gave Bangladesh their only two wickets of the session despite the danger of three spinners. But by lunchtime, South Africa had already marched to a 137-run advantage.
Mahmud and Taijul Islam bowled together to start the second day for Bangladesh. Even though Verreynne appeared particularly confident against Mahmud, pushing him past mid-on for three in the day’s second over before clipping and driving him for boundaries two overs later, the left-arm spinner had virtually little turn.
In the 46th over, Taijul had Mulder prodding, but the outside edge missed slip. That was due as much to Mulder’s use of gentle hands as it was to the surface’s slowness. Both Taijul and offspinner Nayeem Hasan were easily defeated by Mulder and Verreynne, who adapted well on the pitch.
Despite Nayeem occasionally turning the ball in noticeably, both batters made excellent use of sweeps and the reverse sweep. That was due to their comfortably putting the ball away after they had reached the pitch of the deliveries with a nice stride. On the second morning, Verreynne and Mulder smashed 45 runs, including seven boundaries, off Taijul, Nayeem, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz by playing the sweep or the reverse sweep off 28 deliveries.
Only in the previous over did Najmul Hossain Shanto reintroduce Mahmud into the attack, and in the subsequent over, Mahmud hit consecutively. As the ball stayed its line, he began by pitching on a back of a length outside off. On 54, Mulder attempted a punch but lost by a narrow margin. Mahmud went considerably fuller on the following ball, turning it into Keshav Maharaj and outpacing his defence to uproot off stump.
However, No. 10 Dane Piedt blocked and pushed Verreynne’s way at the other end, keeping him undefeated into the lunch break.