South Africa declare after Mulder becomes third centurion of the innings

South Africa 575 for 6 dec (Mulder 105*, Muthusamy 68*, Taijul 5-198) vs Bangladesh

Mulder struck nine fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 105 off 150 balls. Muthusamy made 68 off 75 balls, with five fours and two sixes, also bringing up his maiden Test fifty. They wrested back control of their innings after Taijul completed his five-wicket haul in the day’s first session.

Bangladesh didn’t exactly own the first session of the second day, but Taijul helped them fight back by taking three wickets in successive overs. He removed Bedingham for 59, bowled trying to play the slog sweep. Centurion de Zorzi was given lbw, after missing a sweep. Kyle Verreynne, the centurion from the Dhaka Test, also missed a sweep, falling lbw for a duck.

Mulder and Muthusamy however kept Bangladesh at bay after the triple strike. It is the second time in as many games that Mulder was involved in a century stand for the seventh wicket. He added 119 runs with Verreynne in the Dhaka Test. They found boundaries quite regularly in the second session, Mulder in particular taking on the Bangladesh spinners.

He started the session smashing Taijul past mid-on before crashing Nahid Rana for two fours. He went over mid-off against Mehidy, followed by Muthusamy hitting Taijul for his first six. Mulder struck part-time offspinner Mahmudul Hasan Joy for two sixes off successive balls, the first of which brought up South Africa’s 500 runs.

Taijul’s five wickets came at 198 runs from 52.2 overs, the most expensive five-wicket haul by a Bangladeshi bowler. Rana took the other wicket, while the rest of the Bangladesh bowlers struggled.

South Africa had dominated the first day with centuries from de Zorzi and Stubbs, as they added 201 runs for the second wicket. The pair used the sweeps – reverse and conventional – effectively as the Bangladesh spinners, particularly Mehidy Hasan Miraz couldn’t keep them quiet.