Mehidy fifty takes Bangladesh close to parity after Rabada’s twin strikes
Bangladesh 106 and 201 for 6 (Mehidy 55*, Mahmudul 40, Rabada 4-35) trail South Africa 308 by one run
Rabada’s two wickets in the fourth over of the morning took the sting out of Bangladesh. Both were set batters from the second day: Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mahmudul chased a wide one from Rabada, edging to first slip for 40. He didn’t look comfortable in the short period on the third morning, before playing a poor shot.
Mushfiqur got out exactly how he fell in the first innings, and how he has fallen several times in his career. Rabada angled the ball into him, as he played around it, leaving a gap between bat and pad. The difference between the two innings was Mushfiqur losing his middle stump only on the third morning, while Rabada had splayed his off and middle stumps in the first innings.
Keshav Maharaj then had Litton Das caught behind. He made only 7, making it twin failures for him in this Test after just 1 in the first innings. Captain Aiden Markram took a last-second decision to take the review, which paid off for the visitors as it revealed that there was an edge from the shoulder of Litton’s bat.
The first 30 minutes of the day didn’t, however, convert to more success for South Africa in the rest of the session. Mehidy’s cover drives off Rabada and Wiaan Mulder set the ball rolling for his partnership with Jaker, before the latter, on debut, swept Maharaj for his first boundary in the following over. Mehidy launched Dane Piedt over long-off for his first six, and hit Maharaj for two fours in the 49th over.
Jaker pinged Piedt through extra cover before the pair reached 50 runs for the seventh wicket. Mehidy and Jaker took a four each off Rabada in his second spell, using the square-cut and the pull shot, respectively.
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