His effectiveness remains unparalleled and the only other player to take a wicket in the session was Dane Paterson. Mushfiqur Rahim gifted a catch to Tony de Zorzi at square leg to depart for the second ball, amid a major collapse. Mushfiqur was the second of four batsmen dismissed in the space of 12 balls as Bangladesh’s wickets fell fast forward.
Things started quietly and it took 23 balls before South Africa made the first incision. Rabada had Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in doubt with a ball he spat from the surface. He wasn’t sure whether to advance or block and got a lead toward Kyle Verreynne. Four balls later, Mushfiqur Rahim was dismissed. And in the next over, Rabada took two wickets in three balls: first Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who followed a ball that drifted away and was caught behind, and then when debutant Mahidul Islam shouldered a delivery that hit him on the knee. . That gave Rabada his second five-pointer in as many Tests and his second in the subcontinent.
South Africa introduced Keshav Maharaj’s spin six overs in the morning and Mominul took the fight to them. It took ten runs from two deliveries to take Bangladesh over 50 and avoid being dismissed for one of their three lowest totals in Test cricket. When Rabada was substituted a little later, Bangladesh were able to relax a bit despite South Africa asking for almost anything.
Maharaj reviewed two lbw appeals against Taijul. The first was a cut on the leg, but it was confirmed by the referee’s decision, and the impact was outside in the second. He finally had an lbw decision in his favor when Langton Rusere put Mominul out when he missed a sweep, but Mominul immediately checked and UltraEdge showed an underedge. Mominul was 37 years old at the time. He brought up a fifty off Maharaj’s 76 balls and South Africa thought they had caught him at leg slip later in the over. However, replays showed the ball came off the flap of his front pad.
Rabada was brought back 15 minutes before lunch and immediately thought he had a sixth. Mominul appeared to be dragged down the leg side, but Rabada had gone too far. Mominul’s response was to send Rabada’s next ball for four. Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy received his first bowling five minutes before lunch and began with a half-volley that Mominul edged past mid-on for four. He got Rabada out through midwicket to get into the 70s and looks well established. Bangladesh still need 238 more runs if they want to avoid the continuation.
