LunchSouth Africa 126 for 0 (Elgar 72*, Markram 54*) v Bangladesh
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, South Africa’s openers, struck fifties each and smoothly steered the team to 126 for 0 at lunch on the first day in Bloemfontein. Bangladesh’s seamers could not find a breakthrough or even maintain a disciplined line and length after their captain Mushfiqur Rahim had opted to bowl.
Elgar struck 13 boundaries in his unbeaten 72 off 88 balls while Markram finished the session on 54 with eight boundaries. Elgar pounced on anything that was pitched up to him, hitting six of his 13 fours in the arc between mid-off and midwicket. Markram was more sedate at the other end before opening up and hitting left-arm spinner Taijul Islam for two leg-side fours.
The odd short ball from Mustafizur Rahman and Subashis Roy bothered Elgar, but it did not result in a wicket for the visitors. That Mushfiqur kept shuffling the bowlers did not help their cause. After Subashis conceded three fours in his second over, he was replaced by part-time medium-pacer Soumya Sarkar. Mustafizur then switched ends and replaced Sarkar after the latter had bowled only one over. Taijul was brought into the attack at the start of the second over, but he did not find much turn.
The hosts would be pleased with the start, which mirrored the wicketless first session in Potchefstroom. They were 99 for 0 at lunch in the first Test, and went onto extend their dominance. The signs were ominous for the visitors, who conceded as many as 21 boundaries in the first session in Bloemfontein.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo