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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

Mehidy Hasan Miraz again came to Bangladesh’s rescue when his half-century staved off a rampant South Africa on the third morning of the Mirpur Test. Bangladesh lost three wickets in the first 30 minutes of the morning session, before Mehidy and Jaker Ali added 89 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket. Bangladesh are now just one run away from making the visitors bat again.
Mehidy and Jaker negated South Africa’s threat by sticking to simple shots, and not complicating things, although Kagiso Rabada remained a major problem, having already taken 4 for 35 by lunch. Mehidy and Jaker came together at the crease with the score on 112 for 6, with the hosts still 90 runs away from avoiding a potential innings defeat.

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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