Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs both scored their first Test hundreds to put South Africa in the driver’s seat on day one of the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram.
South Africa entered the second and final Test with a 1-0 lead, having a realistic chance to make it to the 2023-25 World Test Championship final. On a batters’ paradise offering negligible help for the bowlers, the tourists feasted on a listless Bangladesh attack.
After opting to bat first, captain Aiden Markram stitched a 69-run stand for the opening wicket with de Zorzi before departing for a 55-ball 33. Markram’s dismissal allowed the home side to regroup as they kept things tight to the newly arrived Stubbs, who took his time to get in.
Once his eyes were set, there was no stopping for Stubbs as he joined hands with de Zorzi to form a 201-run partnership, South Africa’s third-highest for the second wicket in Asia.
Salman Agha has been appointed Pakistan's white-ball vice-captain in the PCB’s latest move.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) October 29, 2024
How impressive are his numbers in domestic T20s? 🤔
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Defying the sweltering heat, de Zorzi finished the day unbeaten on 141 off 211 balls after smashing his maiden Test ton off 146, while his partner Stubbs was dismissed for a 198-ball 106, having also reached the landmark for the first time, in 193 balls.
Having debuted against India in January, South Africa's management has backed Stubbs to excel at the No.3 position. Just in his fourth Test, he repaid their faith. Stubbs became the first South Africa batter to hit a ton at one down since Theunis de Bruyn's 101 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2018.
Among the Bangladesh bowlers, Taijul Islam bent his back, sending down 30 overs to take the two wickets that fell in the day, conceding 110 runs in his marathon spell. South Africa went to stumps at 307-2.
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