Pacer Mustafizur shines on debut as Bangladesh dominate Day One in first Test against South Africa

Teenage seamer Mustafizur Rahman starred on debut as Bangladesh bowlers dominated South Africa on the opening day of the first Test in Chittagong.

Mustafizur returned 4 for 37 that included three wickets in four balls to help the hosts bowl the Proteas out for 248 in the first innings on the first day of the Chittagong Test on Tuesday.

Legspinner Jubair Hossain then sliced through the lower order with 3 for 53 as the tourists slipped spectacularly from 136 for 1 to 248 all out.

Openers Tamim Iqbal (1) and Imrul Kayes (5) took the hosts, trailing by 241 runs, to 7 for no loss at the close of play.

The Proteas lost nine wickets for only 112 runs as Bangladesh bundled out opponents on the first day of a Test match for only the third time.

Temba Bavuma, the replacement for AB de Villiers, topscored with 54 on a batting-friendly track at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

South Africa, however, looked comfortable before lunch when they scored 104 in 28 overs losing only the wicket of Stiaan van Zyl (34).

The hosts’ bowlers laboured through the first session after South Africa opted to bat.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim introduced spin in the ninth over and was soon rewarded. Mahmudullah sent back van Zyl (34) caught behind by Liton Kumar Das for the wicketkeeper’s first Test dismissal.

It broke a 58-run opening stand.

Dean Elgar (47) and Faf du Plessis (48) put on 78 for the second wicket that put South Africa in a strong position before Bangladesh spinners came back strongly in the second session.

Bangladesh fought back with two for 61 in 29 overs in the second session.

Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam piled pressure on the Proteas with tight, accurate bowling and snapped up the wickets of Elgar and du Plessis in successive overs. 
Hashim Amla and Bavuma looked to take their team out of the woods but Mustafizur struck thrice as Bangladesh strangled the tourists.

The 19-year old seamer struck after tea, polishing off Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy and Quinton de Kock in his 14th over to leave the South African innings tottering at 173 for 6.

Amla (13) became Mustafizur’s first Test scalp when he fished at an away-going delivery and edged it to the wicket keeper Liton Das.

Duminy went for a first-ball duck, trapped lbw in the next ball. Initially given not out, Duminy walked back after Bangladesh went for a review and had the decision overturned.

That put Mustafizur on a hat-trick.

De Kock managed to fend off the first ball and deny the Satkhira paceman his hatrick but a ball later, he found his off stump uprooted by a well-angled in-dipper.

Paceman Mohammad Shahid added to the pressure with dot balls and good length deliveries.

He was unlucky when two chances were dropped after he had bowled seven consecutive maidens.

Bavuma held the innings together for a while and added 35 with Vernon Philander (24) before Jubair reduced them to 239 for nine.

Mustafizur finished the job with the wicket of Dale Steyn (2).

Shakib, Mahmudullah and Taijul chipped in with a wicket each.

Shahid was the Tigers’ only bowler without a wicket as he returned 0 for 34 in 17 overs with nine maiden overs. 

Tamim and Kayes came out and saw off a tricky period of two overs as Bangladesh completed a dominating day in Chittagong.