Bangladesh Vs South Africa IST ODI Match Played at Shere Bangla National Stadium on 10 July 2015

Brief Score Card:
Bangladesh 160 All Out in 36.3 Overs ( Shakib Al Hasan 48 , Nasir Hossain 31,Soumya Sarkar 27 ,Musfiqur Rahim 24 , K Rabada 6/16 ,CH Morris 2/32) Lost to South Africa 164/2 ( F du Plessis 63* ,RR Russouw 45* ,Q de Kock 35 ,Nasir Hossain 1/28 , Mashrafee 1/38) by 8 wickets

Man of the Match: Kagiso Rabada

Match Report:
Highflying Bangladesh Cricket team got badly bruised, battered, embraced and humiliated in its first ODI against South Africa losing by 8 wickets on a double paced wicket in the rain curtailed match yesterday at Mirpur Stadium. Young sensation Kagiso Rabada stunned the cricket world taking 6 /16 in his historic debut, which included a brilliant hat trick.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first in a rain curtailed 40-over match under cloud cover Bangladesh embraced a nightmare losing 4/17 by the 4th Over. Tamim, Liton and Mahamudullah were all consumed on consecutive deliveries of Rabada. They could manage to reach 160 all out in 36.3 Overs. South Africa applying well with the nature of the wicket cruised home winning the match by 8 wickets riding on cool and composed 99 runs unbroken third wicket partnership between F du Plessis and RR Russouw.

Young Rabada broke the record of Fiedel Edwards 6/22 in the debut ODI. If he continues this way, we are not sure whether he will better the record of another teenage sensation Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh of highest wickets in three matches ODI series. He moved the ball at hostile pace and was dead accurate. His Yorkers were deadly. Bangladeshi batsmen simply did not have the technique and skill to counter this excellent pace bowling. They capitulated.  He is definitely going to be another one like Alan Donald or Dale Steyn if nursed well.

Few would argue about opting to batting after winning the toss knowing well that the wicket retained moisture after reaming under cover for over 48 hours from incessant rains. But what appeared from South African batting later on that wicket developed uncertain bounce as the match progressed. Batting under light is always tricky. Bangladesh could create some contest if they could post 200 runs batting sensibly.

Bangladesh again failed to read the nature of the pitch well. The team should definitely have appeared with three seamers on a pace bowling favored wicket. But at the end of the match one has to say that the wreckless batting of the top order sunk Bangladesh. In two T20s and first ODI (40 overs) Bangladesh could not bat its full quota. On the other hand its bowlers could get only 4+4+2 = 10 wickets out of possible 30. This statistics alone testifies how pathetic Bangladesh remains in this bilateral series so far.

Before the series when the top ranked fast bowler Dale Steyn was unwilling to visit Bangladesh for letting his shoulder and back some rest shallow knowledge cricket fans were abusing him. Bangladesh has already played four matches in this series including one practice match. The front line South African attack Steyn, Morkel and Philander have not appeared yet. Bangladesh got humiliated at the hands of a debutant leg spinner in a T20 match and yesterday a 20 years old boy blew away the pride of Bangladesh batting.

Tamim looks completely out of sorts. He struggled all through his 13 ball miserable stay before getting his stumps cart wheeling from a lovely Rabada delivery. He needs a break. Liton and Mahamudullah were just not good enough to handled boiling Rabada breathing fire. On his very second over in One Day International Rabada achieved the distinction of being the second bowler earning hat rick after Bangladeshi Taijul Islam. Young Soumya got a start once again. His flashy blade produced 27 off 27 deliveries. But he too succumbed to another Rabada delivery getting too ambitious. This young kid need to know converting good start to a substantial innings. At 40/4 Bangladesh task was well cut out for surviving till the full quota of 40 overs.

Two seasoned campaigners Shakib and Mushfiqur went about the task quite well rotating the strikes and laying the foundation well. Their 53 fifth wicket partnership was just stabilizing the innings when a rush of blood by Mushfiqur cost him his wicket at a critical stage of the match. They were milking the bowling well at that stage. With over 20 overs still to play it was essential that this pair stayed till at least the 30 th over without being too adventurous. Mushfiqur fell into the trap when Duminy deliberately invited him to drive with a flighted delivery. Mushfiqur obliged and perished in the same manner he is getting out of late. Mushfique departure was the turning point.

Shabbir’s technique again came under test. Chris Morris in cutter penetrated a gate in his defence to knock back his stumps before he could settle in his innings. Mushfique departure triggered another collapse as Sabbir and Shakib followed in quick succession. Bangladesh was pegged back again as 7/120 in the 26th over. Bangladesh had another 14 overs to bat with hardly any batting left. Shakib got out to a lovely Imran Tahir leg spin. His 48 was the substance of Bangladesh batting. During his innings he completed 2000 runs at the venue.

After Shakib’s departure it was left to lone warrior Nasir to battle out. Red Rooster Rababa returned. He removed Mashrafe with a brute of a delivery aimed at his rib cage. It was his fifth on his debut. He also cleaned up Jubair with a vicious Yorker writing his name in the record book eclipsing the West Indian Fiedel Edwards 6/22 on ODI debut with his 6/16. He could get more had the match been 50 overs as his quota here was restricted to 8 overs only.

Brave Nasir went on adding 20 more runs at the last wicket. Even teenager Mustafiz showed lots of guts giving Nasir Company for almost 6 overs against rampaging South Africans. Nasir scored 31 which included three boundaries and the only six of the innings. 160 runs in a 40 over match is never enough on any wicket against a highly professional multi-talented South African team.

Only four batsmen could reach double figure. Three top order batsmen Tamim, Lition and Mahamudullah scored nothing. Bangladesh was at least 40-50 runs short.

Young Mustafiz started well. His subtle variation kept great Hashim Amla and talented de Kock guessing. Some of his cutters narrowly missed the edges. Nasir and Mashrafe also kept the protean batsmen honest. But they were not panicked like Bengal tigers. Amla could be consumed early by Mashrafe bringing in inform du Plessis a bit early.

Bangladesh was bowling well at this stage. de Kock was looking a bit restless. In his desperate bid to break the shackle he attacked Mashrafe taking three boundaries in one over. Mashrafe sensing his uneasiness brought back Nasir. de Kock succumbed trying to drive Nasir uppishly. At 2/64 in the 14th over Bangladesh was in the contest. Nasir, Shakib and Jubair were turning the ball and wicket was suddenly misbehaving.  But seasoned du Plessis and young Russouw stepping into the shoe of illustrious AB de Villiers absorbed the pressure and started counter attacking.

Bangladesh must learn the lesson from the batting of du Plessis –Russouw unbroken partnership of 99. There was no hurry, no panic. Every delivery was played according to its merit. Bangladesh was blown away by 8 wickets making it yet another cake walk for the visitors. Du Plessis played another matured innings of 63 not out. Young Russouw availed the opportunity with an unbeaten 45.

No sensible cricket enthusiast dreamt of Bangladesh white washing or winning any match against formidable South Africa with the ease and comfort as it did against pathetic Pakistan and a bit confused India. But the novice manner in which Bangladesh is losing match after match in the series has reasons to believe that there is something wrong in the thought process, in the planning. Bowling and fielding improved a lot on the day. But one must not expect to create any contest against a major side scoring only 160 in a 40 over match these days.


We have to say that Tamim needs some rest to regain his composure. From this point on it will be wishful thinking that Bangladesh can win the ODI series. Anamul can be tried in place of Tamim in the second ODI. Bangladesh should not have dropped Mominul from the squad. Rabada has already created some panic. Morkel will possibly play in the other two ODIs. Presence of Mominul could be ideal. He needed some work out against South African pacers before the test.

I hope Bangladesh does not drop Jubair for the next ODI. When defending 160 runs attacking spinner can do very little. If Bangladesh plans to drop Jubair he should be replaced with Rubel. He needs some match practice also before the test.

We have to find some positives. Shakib and Nasir batted reasonably well. Soumya and Mushfiqur threw away their wickets after getting start. Mustafiz, Shakib, Nasir, Mashrafe and Jubair all bowled well within themselves. A score of 200 was not beyond Bangladesh grasp. If that happened there could be much keener contest.

One gone, two to play Bangladesh must have the courage to rest Tamim for a match or two before the test where his presence will be essential. Let Anamul get and opportunity. Mahmudullah has just returned after injury. He will definitely bounce back. Soumya needs some quite talk. Let him play his natural way But he should learn to choose right ball to strike. Even Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers do not try to strike every ball. International high quality bowlers take little time to figure out weaknesses of any batsman.  Mushfiqur for some reasons for a while is fighting with his shadow. He is getting starts and getting out almost in the same manner. A good match winning innings for him is just round the corner. Young Sabbir is trying to be too aggressive too early. It was good to see Nasir batting well again. Shakib looked in his element.  I am not sure whether Bangladesh needs 8 batsmen in ODI. They should be a bit more proactive. If one or two top three or four cannot produce a 70 -80 or even 100 the eighth batsman in the side is meaningless. Rather adding Arafat Sunny or Rubel will be more useful.

Let us hope that Bangladesh will appear with better plan and executes better in the next two ODIs. They have to vastly improve batting. No one should blame Mashrafe for opting to bat. Amla would have done the same. It was just the top order batting melted away for poor technique, poorer temperament.  Yet the bowling and fielding was much improved from what we saw in T20 matches.

BDST: 0835 HRS, JULY 11, 2015
RS