A total of 16 wickets fell on Day One of the first Test match between South Africa and hosts Bangladesh at the Mirpur Stadium on Monday.
But the big talking point of the day was South Africa’s new Mr. 300, Kagiso Rabada, who became the 39th bowler in history to bag 300 Test wickets.
What makes his feat even more gevaarlik is the fact that KG did so by bowling the fewest amount of deliveries in history (11 817 balls) to get to the mark, shattering the record held previously by Pakistan swing king Waqar Younis who claimed his 300th scalp with his 12 602nd delivery.
Rabada reached the landmark in the 14th over of the day when he clean bowled Mushfiqur Rahim for 11 and says of the achievement: “When it happened it was just relief. Everyone, even if it’s in the back of their minds, plays for milestones and it was relief.
“I will never forget that special moment.”
South Africa made klein skooltjies of their host, who decided to bat first.
With fast bowler Rabada taking 3/26, it was seamer Wiaan Mulder (3/26) who did the early damage by claiming the first three wickets to make it 21/3.
Bangladesh never recovered and spinner Keshav Maharaj (3/34) also took three scalps to help bowl them out for a skamele 106.
The warning signs were there that SA’s batsman would struggle also. And despite some of them getting starts (Tony de Zorzi 30, Ryan Rickelton 27 and Tristan Stubbs 23), they found left arm spinner Taijul Islam in a gevaarlike mood as he destroyed them by taking 5/49.
With debutant Matthew Breetzke getting a duck in his first match, Kyle Verreynne (18*) and Mulder (17*) were at the crease when the bails were lifted with SA on 140/6 with a lead of 34 runs.
Play resumed at 6am today.
