Chittagong - Bangladeshi teenage sensation Mustafizur Rahman created carnage during the final session in the first Test to leave South Africa reeling at 173/6 at the Zahur Chowdhury Stadium.
The 19-year-old Test debutant ripped the heart out of South Africa’s middle-order with an electrifying burst that saw the left-armer claim three wickets in just four balls. His first victim was Proteas Test captain Hashim Amla, caught behind for 13. Next to go was JP Duminy with the left-hander trapped lbw for a first-ball duck.
The out-of-form Quinton de Kock survived the hat-trick ball, but had no answer for the follow-up delivery. Mustafizur opted for another full delivery and assisted by the pitch that offered little bounce, the ball whisked through De Kock’s feeble defence to send his off-stump rolling back.
The crowd at ZCS was now in raptures as they have witnessed the visitors losing five wickets for the addition of just 37 runs.
The early morning solidity provided by Faf du Plessis (48) and Dean Elgar (47) – they shared a 79-run stand after the opening pair’s 58-run contribution – was halted when Elgar was caught behind off Taijul Islam. Du Plessis misread Shakib-al-Hasan’s faster delivery and was also trapped plumb in front just short of a half-century.
Opener Stiaan van Zyl (34) had fallen earlier in the first session when he was caught down the leg-side off Mahmudullah.
Young Temba Bavuma and all-rounder Vernon Philander have been left with the monumental task of trying to repair the damage created by Mustafizur and Co.
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