CHITTAGONG: Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs put South Africa in order on 307-2 and left Bangladesh fumbling after the very beginning of the second and last Test in Chattogram on Tuesday.
After the visitors won the toss and chose to take advantage of a good batting pitch to try to sweep the series, both players scored their first-ever Test hundreds in a partnership of 201 for the second wicket.
De Zorzi will play alongside David Bedingham on 18 and was unbeaten at stumps with 10 fours and 3 sixes.
Stubbs pitched a more conservative innings, striking out Mominul Haque with his 194th pitch for a single.
Stubbs stated that it “definitely ranks as my favourite hundred” and that “to get to the three figures was a big relief, more than anything.”
The only bowler to make a dent was Taijul Islam, who got rid of Aiden Markram in the morning session after the stand-in skipper went for a big shot and hit Mominul Haque at mid-on for 33.
When Stubbs attempted a back-foot punch to the leg side, he missed the lowering delivery, which crashed into his stumps, and he bowled him for 106 after tea.
Bangladesh has lost two of their three innings reviews, desperate for a wicket.
They tried to get a lbw against De Zorzi on a pitch from the outside and a caught behind when Stubbs tried to cut Taijul away but missed.
Phil Simmons, the new Bangladesh coach, stated, “We need to come tomorrow morning and try to get early wickets to put ourselves in a position to bowl them out.” He took over just before the series began.
In an effort to win the series, South Africa made two adjustments to the team that won in Mirpur.
In place of Matthew Breetzke and Dane Piedt, Senuran Muthusamy, an all-rounder who can bowl left-arm spin, and fast bowler Dane Paterson came in.
Bangladesh made three substitutions, making the debuts of wicketkeeper Mahidul Islam Ankon, fast bowler Nahid Rana, and batsman Zakir Hasan.
Jaker Ali, who made his debut in the first match, is out with a concussion, and wicketkeeper Litton Das and Nayeem Hasan were also left out.
Kagiso Rabada’s 6-46 in the second innings as a fast bowler helped South Africa win the first Test within four days.
Bangladesh has played 24 Tests in Chattogram, but only two have been won and seven have been drawn.
South Africa’s Scoreboard (First Innings):
T. de Zorzi not out 141 T. Stubbs not out 106 D. Bedingham not out 18 EXTRAS (B-5, LB-1, NB-3) 9 TOTAL (for two wickets, 81 overs) 307 FALL OF WICKETS: A. Markram c Mominul b Taijul 33 1-69 (Markram) and 2-270 (Stubbs) REFUSED TO BAT: S. Muthusamy, R. Rickelton, K. Verreynne, W. Mulder, K. Maharaj, K. Rabada, and D. Paterson BOWLING: Hasan scored 13-0-47-0, Nahid scored 13-2-34-0 (3nb), Taijul scored 30-2-110-2, Mehidy scored 21-1-95-0, and Mominul scored 4-0-15-0. Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahidul Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana are the presiding officers. TV UMPIRE: Joel Wilson (West Indies), Langton Rusere (Zimbabwe). Match Referee: India’s Nitin Menon Zambia’s Andrew Pycroft
