Bangladesh toiled hard in the field as they managed to pick up only two South African wickets on the first day of the second and final Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Tuesday.聽
Opener Tony De Zorzi and number three Tristan Stubbs both hit their maiden hundreds and shared a 201-run partnership, which is the third highest for them in the second wicket in Asia after the Proteas opted to bat first on a flat track on a hot and humid day.聽
The visitors, who are leading the series 1-0 after winning the first Test at Mirpur by seven wickets, piled up 307 runs from 81 overs before bad light stopped the day鈥檚 play with nine overs remaining.聽
De Zorzi remained unbeaten on 141, along with David Beddingham, who was batting on 18.聽
Spin was introduced in the sixth over by Bangladesh, who were playing with only four specialist bowlers, when Taijul Islam replaced Nahid Rana after the latter bowled only two overs in his opening spell.
Nahid clocked over 140kph but couldn鈥檛 make any inroads.聽
Taijul broke the 69-run opening stand of De Zorzi and Aiden Markram by dismissing the latter. South Africa鈥檚 stand-in captain Markram went down the track to a flighted delivery but couldn鈥檛 get to the pitch of the ball and chipped it to mid-on after making 33.聽
Bangladesh then went wicketless for almost two sessions as De Zorzi and Stubbs continued to frustrate them. There were phases when Bangladesh squeezed the runs but couldn鈥檛 break through.聽
De Zorzi, though, should鈥檝e been dismissed in the first session. But the debutant wicketkeeper, Mahidul Islam, dropped a tough chance when De Zorzi was batting on six.
Mahidul was also late to take an opportunity to stump Stubbs on 25.聽
Mahidul was only included in the squad on Monday after Jaker Ali suffered a concussion in the practice and came to the eleven after Liton Das had a high fever.
He became the 106th player to represent Bangladesh in Tests.聽
Left-hander De Zorzi was the first to reach his hundred off 146 balls when he swept Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a boundary through square-leg and brought out the Chelsea and England midfielder Cole Palmer celebration.聽
Both he and Stubbs played sweep and reverse sweeps well against the spinners. Stubbs got the taste of his first Test hundred after tea with a single off Mominul Haque.
He jumped midway through his run and then took off his helmet in celebration.
Stubbs took 194 balls to reach the milestone but soon fell off Taijul. He wanted to make himself room on a delivery that kept low and was bowled after hitting the toe-end of the bat.聽
Bangladesh took the second new ball as soon as it was available. But only a single over from Mehidy was possible before the stumps.聽
