Record stand fuels Bangladesh’s hopes for bigger total against South Africa

Bangladesh have already rewritten their batting records against South Africa, but the tourists are not ready to settle.

The team have a longer stay at the crease as their priority on the second morning in Johannesburg.

A disastrous start threatened to unravel Bangladesh’s innings, with three wickets tumbling for just 22 runs at the Wanderers on Sunday.

Even after Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Towhid Hridoy built a 99-run partnership, Bangladesh were precariously placed at 121 for five, leaving their hopes of posting a competitive first innings score hanging by a thin strand.

Then came the rescue act.

Towhid Hridoy and Litton Kumer Das combined to produce a magnificent 206-run partnership for the sixth wicket, transforming Bangladesh's fortunes and carrying them to an imposing 327 for 6 at the close.

The partnership not only steadied the innings but also propelled Bangladesh to two significant milestones.

The Tigers’ previous highest Test score against South Africa was 326, set in Chattogram in 2015. Their best total on South African soil was 320, scored in Potchefstroom in 2017.

Despite reaching uncharted territory against the Proteas, Bangladesh are looking beyond the numbers, with opener Tanzid insisting that the visitors have no particular total in mind.

"The wicket is getting better after the first session, particularly after lunch. I don't think we have a specific target in mind. The longer we can bat, the better it will be for us," Tanzid said after the first day's play.

The left-handed batter played a crucial role in Bangladesh's recovery, standing firm amid Kagiso Rabada's early assault before joining Hridoy in a 99-run fourth-wicket stand.

Tanzid eventually departed for a fluent 67, having struck 12 boundaries, when he dragged an off-stump delivery from Rabada onto his stumps after lunch.

Three months after his maiden Test century in Darwin, another hundred proved elusive.

But personal milestones were never his primary concern, he said.

Addressing queries on his emotions of missing out on a ton from the press, Tanzid said, "I never go out there thinking about scoring a hundred. My focus was on getting through the new-ball spell and contributing something meaningful to the team. It was the same approach today,".

Bangladesh will resume on the second morning with a record already in the books and plenty of opportunity to push the total further. After weathering Rabada's early storm, the visitors will hope their lower order can build on the platform laid by Hridoy and Litton.