South Africa win toss, opt to bat against Bangladesh

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim plays a shot during a practice session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on July 20, 2015.

The focus now switches to the five-day format and Bangladesh’s Test results against South Africa do not make pretty reading.

Even by winning both Test matches, Bangladesh will not move up on the ICC rankings table, but the Tigers can cut into the 40 point gap separating them from the eighth-ranked West Indies side.

“To take 400 test wickets is something that is extremely special”, South Africa captain Hashim Amla said on Monday, on the eve of the first test in Chittagong.

After losing two of three to Bangladesh in their ODI series that finished up on Wednesday, South Africa has brought in eight new players for the Test series, including Dale Steyn, widely considered the cricket world’s most fearsome fast bowler, at least in the Test format. During the period, it swept Zimbabwe 3-0 and managed creditable draws against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and India, mainly at home.

One that Bangladesh didn’t quite master the last time they faced South Africa at home.

“I assume each groups in all probability would have batted first”.

To watch the Bangaldesh vs. South Africa First Test match, Day One, live online, see the information at the bottom of this article. “We have to play to our potential”.

Bangladesh had won four successive ODI series over the past eight months following a first-ever appearance in the World Cup quarterfinals.

“I’m hoping the new guys get an understanding of what Test cricket is like in Bangladesh and for some of us [senior players] to put in some big performances to allow them to grow in Test cricket”. “We have to play big moments intelligently as well”, Hathurusingha said.

“It was a disappointing finish to our one-day series after starting well in the T20′s”, Domingo said, referring to their 2-0 win in Twenty20 worldwide series before the ODIs.

In a rebuilding phase following the retirement of Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Alviro Petersen in recent years, South Africa will miss the services of AB de Villiers, who flew back home after the T20Is and was given a break from the ODI and Test series for personal reasons, snapping an unbroken run of 98 consecutive Tests.

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt, wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Litton Das, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Nasir Hossain, Taijul Islam, Jubair Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Shahid, Mustafizur Rahman.

South Africa’s fast bowler Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander returned to the side after skipping the limited overs contests.