Ken Borland

Vice-captain Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten half-century, his 18^th coming up in his 50^th Test, and captain Dean Elgar’s brisk 67, bookended a highly satisfactory day for South Africa as they reached 233/4 at stumps on the first day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Kingsmead on Thursday.

It was an extremely solid top-order display by the Proteas, especially since they had been sent in to bat, Bangladesh being swayed by a steamy morning that should have aided swing and a greenish tinge to the pitch.

The facts are, though, that Bangladesh bowled inconsistently through the day and South Africa suffered some soft dismissals.

The day began badly for the hosts when the start of play was delayed for 33 minutes by a malfunctioning sightscreen advertising board. But once Taskin Ahmed finally delivered the opening ball – a filthy leg-side full toss that was clipped away for four by Elgar – it was smooth sailing for the Proteas.

Elgar and Sarel Erwee took South Africa to 95/0 at lunch, but both fell soon afterwards, in the eighth and ninth overs after the break. Khaled Ahmed delivered a rearing delivery that found Elgar’s glove, wicketkeeper Liton Das snatching up the chance with a full-length dive. South Africa’s captain was at his pugnacious best, needing just 60 balls for his fifty and in all he hit 11 fours.

Erwee had worked hard for his solid 41, but then dragged a full and wide delivery from spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz into his stumps in the next over.

Keegan Petersen (19) was then run out by a spectacular piece of fielding by Mehidy, who dived full-length at point, got the ball in his hand and threw down the stumps while half standing up. It harkened back to the days of Jonty Rhodes at Kingsmead.

Debutant Ryan Rickelton moved boldly to 21, his first Test runs coming from a reverse-sweep for four off Mehidy, but he then mistimed a pull shot off fast bowler Ebadot Hossain and looped a catch to mid-on.

South Africa’s innings was at a crossroads on 180/4 half-an-hour after tea. But Bavuma, who had played with some glamour in the early part of his innings, really knuckled down and made sure he was there at the end of the day.

Bavuma reached the close on 53 not out, having occupied the crease for more than three hours and faced 119 deliveries, with six fours.

Kyle Verreynne (27*) showed good composure to bat through to stumps, which came at 5.18pm due to bad light, adding 53 with Bavuma to make it South Africa’s day.

The Proteas are considering playing two frontline spinners in the first Test against Bangladesh starting on Thursday at Kingsmead, where South Africa have had disappointing results in recent years, captain Dean Elgar has confirmed.

The Proteas have lost seven of their last 10 Tests at Kingsmead, dating back to 2008. They have repeatedly expressed their frustration at the dry, low and slow, spin-friendly pitch that has developed there.

But this time, with Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi all unavailable, they could well play both orthodox left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and offie Simon Harmer.

“We’ve been having really good discussions about the best combination to take 20 wickets and we’re sitting with three different combinations as regards the bowlers,” Elgar said.

“Playing two spinners in Durban is very much a talking point. We are aware of the conditions, it’s generally slower and lower here, and our squad has covered a lot of areas.

“We obviously want more grass on the wicket and it seems that it has grown a bit. But it helps if you put more water on the pitch as well. We hope to get a nice and hard surface, with more pace and bounce.

“But we’re not too fazed by playing on slower wickets, we just need to do the basics better for longer,” Elgar said.

So what are the three permutations for the starting XI?

Disappointment for all-rounder Mulder

If conditions are going to be really tough for batting, or there is pressure to play three Black Africans, then South Africa could choose seven specialist batsmen, giving both Ryan Rickelton and Khaya Zondo their Test debuts. That would mean leaving out all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and probably fielding just one spinner and three pacemen.

Team – Elgar, Erwee, Petersen, Bavuma, Rickelton, Verreynne, Zondo, Maharaj, Williams, Sipamla, Olivier/Stuurman.

Two spinners, the most likely XI

The team that would be the most balanced and cover the most bases includes six specialist batsmen, a seam-bowling all-rounder, two frontline quicks and two spinners lining up. I’ll back this to be the team if the Kingsmead pitch is as it has been in recent years.

Lizaad Williams, so impressively controlled and effective in domestic cricket this season, could get the nod ahead of Duanne Olivier and Glenton Stuurman, who were both dropped after the first Test hiding in New Zealand.

Rather than choose a third, middle-of-the-road paceman, rather go with the four best bowlers, which in this squad includes two quality spinners in Maharaj and Harmer.

This would involve being slightly down on transformation targets, however, with only five players of colour and two Black Africans.

Team – Elgar, Erwee, Petersen, Bavuma, Rickelton, Verreynne, Mulder, Harmer, Maharaj, Williams, Sipamla.

Placing their hopes in pace bowling

If the Proteas go their traditional, unsuccessful-at-Kingsmead, route of having a pace-based attack and just one spinner, then Lutho Sipamla will be joined by Lizaad Williams and Duanne Olivier, or Glenton Stuurman if CSA insist on placing six players of colour in the team.

Recent pitches in Durban suggest this attack will not be as effective, but if there is a bit more grass present, and more pace and bounce, then it could be worth the gamble.

Team – Elgar, Erwee, Petersen, Bavuma, Rickelton, Verreynne, Mulder, Maharaj, Williams, Sipamla, Stuurman/Olivier.

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma criticised the number of soft dismissals his batting line-up suffered and their lack of intent in their humiliating nine-wicket defeat, with nearly half their overs remaining, in the third ODI against Bangladesh, who won their first series in any format in South Africa.

Having won the toss, elected to bat first and reached 46 without loss inside seven overs at Centurion, the Proteas folded meekly to be bowled out for just 154 in 37 overs.

“There were a lot of soft dismissals and too many in the top-order,” Bavuma said. “Intent is the big word, we need to play with intensity and clarity, we need to back our plans 100%.

“But that wasn’t there in the third ODI and we did not execute at 100% either. From a confidence point of view, there was a lot of belief coming out of the India series win.

“But we did not respect our processes at Centurion, maybe we just expected things to go our way. We know Bangladesh have the tag of not being one of the bigger teams, but they showed skill and execution at a high level.

“They really put us under pressure with the ball and bat in how they executed their game-plan and the basics in these conditions. The way they played and the skill they displayed was at a high level,” Bavuma said.

Having whitewashed India 3-0 in January with the same team but bolstered by the inclusion of ace fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, now being beaten by Bangladesh (even though they have improved impressively) on the Highveld rates as one of the most embarrassing defeats the Proteas have ever suffered.

A nonplussed Bavuma regarded his team’s inconsistency as being his biggest concern.

“Not so long ago we were victorious against India and now we were completely outplayed in all three departments by Bangladesh.

“The inconsistency in the way we perform as a unit is the worry,” Bavuma admitted.

All the hard work done by the Proteas on their 50-over cricket, as shown by their 3-0 whitewash of India, was ruined in ignominious fashion on Wednesday as they were thrashed by nine wickets by Bangladesh at SuperSport Park in Centurion, giving the tourists an historic first series win in South Africa in any format.

The heavy defeat can be laid at the door of a batting failure that saw the Proteas dismissed for just 154 – their lowest ever total against Bangladesh – in only 37 overs.

But the way Bangladesh dealt with the South African bowlers was also pretty humiliating as they raced to victory with 141 balls to spare, led by captain Tamin Iqbal’s punishing and brilliant 87 not out off just 82 balls.

Electing to bat first seemed the right course of action as Janneman Malan and Quinton de Kock cruised to 46 without loss inside seven overs.

But from the moment De Kock (12) holed out at long-off off spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the Proteas batting fell to pieces.

Malan, having gone to 28 off just 31 deliveries, went into his shell and struggled to 39 off 56 before being caught behind off Taskin Ahmed, who had removed Kyle Verreynne (9) in his previous over.

Temba Bavuma (2) and Rassie van der Dussen (4) fell cheaply as 66/2 rapidly became 83/5.

David Miller (16) and Dwaine Pretorius (20) rebuilt for half-a-dozen overs, but the probing Taskin removed them both as South Africa slumped to 122/7.

They were thankful for Keshav Maharaj’s sensible 28 getting them past 150, but clever cricket was sorely lacking from the Proteas batsmen as they were bowled out with 13 overs remaining in their innings.

On a pitch that offered uneven bounce, Taskin was outstanding and finished with 5/35 in nine overs, the first five-wicket haul for Bangladesh in their 24 ODIs against South Africa.

Left-arm spinner Shakib offered fine support with 2/24 in nine overs, while left-arm paceman Mustafizur Rahman exerted pressure at the other end by conceding just 23 runs in his seven overs.

Captain Tamim then showcased his special qualities with the bat as he stroked 14 fours. The left-hander manipulated and placed the ball wonderfully well and his timing was as sweet as the taste of victory will be for his team.

Liton Das (48 off 57) was an admirable foil as the openers put on 127 for the first wicket, Bangladesh’s best ever opening partnership in South Africa. Liton eventually fell when he drove Keshav Maharaj to a leaping Temba Bavuma at extra cover, taking the added disgrace of a 10-wicket defeat off the table, but Bangladesh were barely past halfway through their overs when victory was completed.

Compared to the focused brilliance of the Bangladesh bowlers, the Proteas attack had little to feel special about.