A thrilling third day of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium witnessed a remarkable comeback from the hosts, spearheaded by a brilliant unbeaten 87 from middle-order batsman Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Bangladesh, trailing by 202 runs after the first innings, found themselves in a precarious position at 112-6, having lost three quick wickets in the morning session. Kagiso Rabada, the South African pace spearhead, removed opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim in quick succession, while Keshav Maharaj dismissed Litton Das, who was initially given not out but South African skipper Aiden Markram successfully reviewed the decision.
However, the tide turned with a gritty 138-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Mehidy and debutant Jaker Ali. Both batsmen adopted an aggressive approach, taking the fight to the South African bowlers and slowly erasing Bangladesh’s deficit. Mehidy reached his half-century in 94 balls, followed by Jaker, who took 104 deliveries to reach his fifty.
Jaker’s valiant knock ended when he was trapped lbw by Maharaj for 58, but by then Bangladesh had taken control of the match.
Rain intervened briefly, leading to an early tea break, and upon resumption, the fading light became a factor. The umpires deemed the conditions unsuitable for South Africa to use their seamers, but surprisingly, the visitors opted to continue with their spin attack instead of taking the bad light. This decision proved costly as Bangladesh added 16 runs in five overs before the end of play was called.
Bangladesh ended the day at 283 for seven, leading South Africa by 81 runs with three wickets in hand. Mehidy and Nayeem Hasan, who is unbeaten on 16, will resume their innings on Thursday, aiming to set South Africa a challenging target on a pitch that has shown signs of variable bounce.
This dramatic turnaround has set the stage for an exciting fourth day, where Bangladesh will be looking to capitalize on their momentum and secure a crucial win in the first Test. The result of this match could have a significant impact on the outcome of the two-match series, with the second Test scheduled to take place in Chittagong next week.