Bangladesh bounced back into the reckoning after South African paceman Morne Morkel rocked the hosts with a five-wicket haul in the opening Test yesterday.
After being bowled out for a sub-par 192, Bangladesh struck through the pace-spin combine of Shahadat Hossain and Mohammad Rafique to reduce the visitors to 76-4 at stumps.
Hossain sent back openers Graeme Smith (10) and Neil McKenzie (five) while left-arm spinner Rafique claimed the wickets of Hashim Amla and the dangerous Jacques Kallis (17).
Smith, leading his side in a national record 53rd Test, played on to his stumps while McKenzie and Amla (25) were trapped leg before wicket.
Kallis was dismissed by a ball that kept low and crashed into his off-stump, a dismissal that sent the home fans into a frenzy at the Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur stadium.
At stumps, Ashwell Prince, batting on nine, and Johan Botha on five were at the crease.
The exploits of the Bangladesh bowlers followed the heroics of Morkel, playing in only his second Test after making his debut against India in 2006.
The 23-year-old South African bowler finished with 5-50, which included two wickets off two balls in the post-lunch session.
Bangladesh, who have won just one of their 51 Tests -- against fellow minnows Zimbabwe -- struggled for most of the day, losing their first five wickets for just 85.
Middle-order batsman Aftab Ahmed showed some application, though, top-scoring with 44 and putting on a vital 70-run partnership with Shakib al Hasan (30).
Captain Mohammad Ashraful made a brisk 34 off 27 balls with seven fours before falling prey to Botha, also playing his first Test in two years.
Quick bowler Dale Steyn complemented the efforts of Morkel by picking up 3-27 while off-spinner Botha chipped in with two on an easy-paced wicket.
The hosts got off to a disastrous start after they won the toss and elected to bat, losing young openers Junaid Siddique and Tamim Iqbal to Steyn.
The left-handed Iqbal was out for a duck as he tried to flick one past midwicket but got a thick inside edge, which was scooped up by the bowler.
Siddique (1) edged one behind to Mark Boucher who equaled Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist's record for most Test dismissals (416).
Habibul Bashar, under pressure to retain his place in the Test squad after being axed from the one-day side, failed yet again when he offered a simple catch to McKenzie in the slips for 11.
Morkel then took two wickets in two balls, dismissing Hasan and Rafique.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946