South Africa punish Bangladesh on opening day of second Test match

Photo: AFP

Bloemfontein: Openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar made centuries as South Africa again punished Bangladesh's decision to bowl first to race to 428-3 on the opening day of the second test on Friday.

Markram made 143 and Elgar 113 and they had a 243-run opening stand. Hashim Amla and captain Faf du Plessis pressed home South Africa's advantage with an unbroken 140-run stand for the fourth wicket to take the Proteas to stumps at Mangaung Oval.

Amla was 89 not out, Du Plessis 62 not out, and South Africa was eyeing a score in excess of 500 in double-quick time. South Africa scored at nearly five runs an over on the first day and racked up 126 runs in the first session, 130 in the second, and 172 after tea.

Bangladesh's bowlers again looked lost, and captain Mushfiqur Rahim's decision to put South Africa in again appeared to be a woeful error.

The second test was shaping up to be a repeat of the first, when Bangladesh misread the pitch, put South Africa in to bat, and the South Africans made 496-3 declared in their first innings on the way to a comfortable victory.

Bangladesh dropped three bowlers after that first-test defeat but the new guys didn't fare any better. Subashis Roy, one of the three called in, returned the best figures with his 2-85. That included the wicket of Elgar, but only after South Africa's openers put their team in complete control.

Elgar made a second century in two tests after his 199 in that big first-innings score in the first game. Markram, out for 97 on debut in the first test, did complete a maiden test hundred this time in Bloemfontein.

Elgar has five centuries in 2017 and is the leading scorer in test cricket this year with more than 1,000 runs. He and Markram have put on two big opening partnerships in their first two tests playing together, 196 in the opening game and the double-century stand on Friday.

Elgar fell to a short-ball tactic that Bangladesh persevered with through most of the day, and ultimately had success with. Subashis banged in a short one, Elgar went for a hook, and was caught at backward square leg by Mustafizur Rahman.

The touring bowlers reverted to the short stuff after getting little out of the pitch early on. They were also wayward, conceding 58 boundaries in the day.

Rubel Hossain set Markram up with short balls before firing in a yorker to bowl him.

But the South Africans scored at will, with only Temba Bavuma (7) missing out.

Amla, also a century-maker in the first test, hit 12 fours and his 89 came off just 99 deliveries.