Pace prodigy Mustafizur Rahman scales new heights

Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman has scaled new heights by becoming the Man-of-the-Match, leaving South African batsmen spellbound on his debut in the Chittagong Test.

The youngster became the first player in the history of international cricket to be named the best player in both one-day and Test debuts.

Mustafizur’s 4 for 37 helped the hosts bundle out the tourists for a mere 248 in the first innings. The prolific haul followed his ODI debut figures of 5 for 50 against India in Mirpur on Jun 18.

Bangladesh then shone with the bat, scoring 326 with a combined performance that included three half-centuries and Shakib Al Hasan’s 47 before the rain forced a draw.

Although it was fine team performance overall, the 19-year old seamer stood out as he tuned into the game’s prestigious format in style.

Mustafizur, who starred in the India series last month, had bagged a record-breaking 13 wickets in his first three matches.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim was confident that Mustafizur will be as successful in Tests as he was in ODIs.

"He learns very fast. He has already realised that, to take wickets in Tests, he has to bowl well consistently and create pressure," he said after the match on Saturday.

One other player, however, has the distinction of becoming the Man-of-the-Match on his first international appearances in two formats – Bangladesh spinner Elias Sunny. He achieved the feat on his Test and Twenty20 international debuts.

Sunny took 6 for 94 against West Indies on his Test debut at the same venue in 2011. He put up a stunning show in his maiden T20I match against Ireland, returning 5 for 13 in 4 overs to be adjudged best player in Belfast in 2012.

Catalyst Mustafizur

Mustafizur’s success drove Bangladesh into a spirited performance with both the ball and the bat.

South Africa were sitting pretty on 136 for 1 on the first day when Taijul Islam and Shakib picked up two quick wickets to send back the well-set Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis.

The teenager from Satkhira then struck by picking up three wickets in his 14th over, a feat that played a key role in restricting the tourists’ world-class batting line-up to under 250.

After bowling three short spells without success earlier, Mustafizur came back in the attack after tea and ran through South Africa's middle-order but missed out on a debut hat-trick.

He claimed the scalps of Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy and Quinton de Kock in four balls.

That provided impetus to the team as legspinner Jubair Hossain grabbed three quick wickets, including two in an over.

He returned in his fifth spell and took out their top-scorer and only half-centurion Temba Bavuma, as South Africa suffered a dramatic collapse, losing nine wickets for only 112 runs.

The commanding show from the bowling unit hugely boosted the confidence of the batsmen, who matched the bowlers' resolve with gritty batting display to score 326 on the sluggish track.

The AB de Villiers-less Proteas were clearly dominated by Bangladesh until the lunch break on the third day.

Then rain started washing out the next session’s play and eventually drowned out the last two days to force Bangladesh’s first-ever draw with the South Africans.