Bangladesh debutant Mahfijul Islam endured a nightmare start to his Test career, while South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada etched his name into the record books with a rare first-ball dismissal in the opening Test at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.Mahfijul was dismissed for a golden duck off the very first legal delivery of the match, becoming the first Bangladesh batter and only the fourth player in Test history to be dismissed off the opening ball of a Test on debut.The left-handed batter, drafted into the playing XI as a replacement for the injured Shadman Islam, edged a delivery from Rabada that seamed away and was caught in the slips. His dismissal handed Rabada an immediate breakthrough and left Bangladesh reeling at the start of their innings.The unwanted record had previously been registered by South Africa’s Jimmy Cook, who fell to Kapil Dev in Durban in 1992, West Indies’ Leon Garrick, dismissed by Allan Donald in Kingston in 2001, and Afghanistan’s Abdul Malik, who was dismissed by Blessing Muzarabani in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
Rabada joins elite South African list
While Mahfijul’s dismissal marked a forgettable beginning to his international career, Rabada’s first-ball breakthrough brought him a place in an exclusive group of South African bowlers.He became only the fourth South African to take a wicket with the first legal delivery of a men’s Test match, joining Bert Vogler, Allan Donald and Dale Steyn.Vogler was the first to achieve the feat, dismissing England’s Tom Hayward with the opening delivery of the Oval Test in 1907. Donald followed suit when he removed Garrick in the Kingston Test in 2001.Steyn then joined the list in 2010, dismissing England opener Andrew Strauss with the first ball of a Test match. Rabada has now become the latest Proteas fast bowler to achieve the distinction.
Bangladesh collapse after early Rabada strikes
The early breakthrough was the beginning of a difficult opening session for Bangladesh, who opted to bat after winning the toss.Rabada struck again almost immediately, dismissing Mominul Haque for a duck to leave the visitors at 2/2. He then removed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in the ninth over, reducing them to 22/3 and putting South Africa firmly in control.Bangladesh were chasing their first-ever Test victory over South Africa. They had lost 14 of their previous 16 meetings, with the remaining two ending in draws.
