MIRPUR, Bangladesh — In an impressive display of bowling, Kagiso Rabada secured six wickets for 39 runs, guiding South Africa to a seven-wicket triumph over Bangladesh in the first Test match, thus taking a 1-0 lead in the two-game series.
Rabada’s efforts were pivotal in restricting Bangladesh to 307 runs in their second innings, setting South Africa a target of 106 runs for victory. The South African team efficiently chased down the score, finishing at 106-3 in just 22 overs just before the lunch break on the fourth day.
In the first innings, Bangladesh struggled significantly, managing to score only 106 runs. South Africa, on the other hand, responded robustly, accumulating 308 runs and establishing a hefty lead of 202 runs.
On the day’s play, Bangladesh resumed batting at 283-7, leading by 81 runs, but their hopes were quickly diminished as Rabada and Wiaan Mulder adeptly utilized the second new ball to dismantle the batting order.
Rabada made his presence felt right away by taking the first wicket in the opening over of the day, trapping Nayeem Hasan leg-before for 16 runs, which marked his 15th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Notably, Taijul Islam, the left-arm spinner who took 5-122 in the first innings, managed to claim all three South African wickets in the second.
The next and final Test match in the series is set to take place in Chattogram, starting next Tuesday.