Bangladesh vs South Africa, 1st Test Day 1 Live Score: Follow Match Action, Commentary And More

1.2 – No run.

1.1 – Starts from over the wicket and lands it on a hard length, with some shape back into the batter, on middle and leg, Shadman Islam negates the movement and tucks it down the deck.

Wiaan Mulder to share the attack.

0.6 – FOUR LEG BYES! Kagiso Rabada keeps it full and on the pads, Mahmudul Hasan Joy fails to tickle it fine but the ball goes off his pads past the keeper to his left for a boundary.

Batsman_1 : Mahmudul Hasan Joy 2(6)

Batsman_2 : Shadman Islam 0(0)

Bowler : Kagiso Rabada 0/2(1)

Over : 1

Run : 6

Wicket : 0

Score : 6/0

0.5 – First runs for Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Bangladesh! Kagiso Rabada goes full and slants it into the pads, Mahmudul Hasan Joy leans ahead and clips it past mid on for a couple of runs.

0.4 – Bends his back and digs it in short, outside off, Mahmudul Hasan Joy leaves it alone.

0.3 – A tad fuller than a good length but down leg, Mahmudul Hasan Joy lets it go through.

0.2 – Right on the money! On a good length, on middle and off with a hint of away movement that goes past the outside edge as Mahmudul Hasan Joy looks to block it with a straight bat.

0.1 – Starts from over the wicket and digs it in short and angling into the bodyline of the batter, Mahmudul Hasan Joy moves inside the line and lets it go past to the keeper. The ball seems to have brushed his short on the way and there is a half-hearted appeal from the keeper alone.

With all the pre-match formalities complete, we are ready for the action to begin! The two umpires make their way to the middle, and the Proteas break from a final huddle, spreading out across the field to take their positions. Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy stride out as the Bangladesh openers, determined to get their side off to a solid start. Kagiso Rabada has the new ball in hand and looks fired up, ready to set the tone for South Africa. Away we go!

The match officials and the captains of both teams lead their players out to the middle for the national anthems. South Africa’s anthem will play first, followed by the Bangladesh anthem!

Aiden Markram, the skipper of South Africa says they would have wanted to bat first as well but now will make sure they try to extract whatever is on offer early on and then bring in spin. Adds that the preparation has been good over the last few days and the team is in good headspace and excited for the games. Mentions that Matthew Breetzke makes his debut and plays this game and they are going with two spinners.

Najmul Hossain Shanto, the skipper of Bangladesh says that they will bat first. Adds that the wicket looks dry and batting in 4th innings will be harder. Adds that it can happen in cricket, losing a series but they played excellent cricket against Pakistan. Mentions that the preparation has been really good and they have some key players who are eager to do well in this game.

PITCH REPORT – Ed Rainsford is down in the middle for the pitch analysis. He says the surface is hard with a nice grass covering on it. Adds that the weather is hazy but the surface looks very hard and the teams winning the toss would love to bat and post big total on the board.

Shukri Conrad, the Head Coach of South Africa is also down for a quick chat. He says the preps have been good and they expect this to be spin dominated. Adds that once they came in, they thought the conditions were tough but they are now confident and have covered all the bases. Mentions that the batters are slightly inexperienced but that is a challenge they look forward to. States that they have the right balance and the best of spinners in Keshav Maharaj.

Phil Simmons, the Head Coach for Bangladesh is down for a chat. He says that they got 3 days of good practice and they are ready for the game. Adds that the key is that they need to back their strengths and need to exploit the home conditions well.

South Africa (Playing XI) – Aiden Markram (C), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, Matthew Breetzke (On Debut), Kyle Verreynne (WK), Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt.

Bangladesh (Playing XI) – Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (WK), Mehidy Hasan, Jaker Ali (On Debut), Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud.

TOSS – The coin flip lands in the favour of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Bangladesh elect to BAT first.

On the other hand, South Africa will also be without their regular skipper Temba Bavuma, with Aiden Markram stepping in to lead the side. The Proteas’ top order has struggled with consistency lately and will be looking to find their rhythm in this series. However, what could truly set South Africa apart is their lethal bowling attack. Kagiso Rabada will spearhead the pace department, while Keshav Maharaj will take charge of the spin, which is likely to play a key role on this surface. With crucial World Test Championship points on the line, South Africa will push hard for a positive result, but Bangladesh at home presents a formidable challenge. All signs point to a thrilling encounter ahead, and the toss is just moments away!