Day 1 – Session 1: Bangladesh chose to bat.
Current RR: 3.41
• Min. Ov. Rem: 82.3
Bangladesh went in with three spinners in hazy conditions in Dhaka
Jaker Ali was handed his Test cap • BCB
Toss Bangladesh chose to bat vs South Africa
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to bat against South Africa in the first Test, in hazy Dhaka on Monday.
For the hosts, batter Jaker Ali will be making his Test debut, replacing Shakib Al Hasan. The allrounder was unable to make it to Dhaka while traveling from New York earlier this week and had to make himself unavailable in what was supposed to be his farewell Test.
South Africa handed a Test cap to wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Breetzke. They are without their captain Temba Bavuma who is out with an elbow injury. Aiden Markram is the stand-in captain.
Both teams have four frontline bowlers with Bangladesh going with spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam and a lone pace bowler in Hasan Mahmud. South Africa have picked two spinners in Keshav Maharaj and Dane Piedt, and two fast bowlers in Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder.
Bangladesh are coming off a 2-0 loss against India in India while South Africa beat West Indies 1-0 away in a two-Test series.
Bangladesh: 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Jaker Ali, 9 Nayeem Hasan, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Hasan Mahmud
South Africa: 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 David Bedingham, 5 Ryan Rickelton, 6 Matthew Breetzke, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Wiaan Mulder, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Dane Piedt
Srinidhi Ramanujam is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
