Rabada's warning shot, and the weak slog
Plays of the day from the first ODI between Bangladesh and South Africa in Mirpur
Mohammad Isam
10-Jul-2015
The portent
Tamim Iqbal's off stump spun out of its groove after he missed a full delivery from Kagiso Rabada in the fourth over. To the naked eye, it looked as if Tamim had missed inside the line of the ball, but Rabada had bowled a straight 138kph delivery that held its line and beat his bat from the outside. The ball delighted the bowler - it was his first ODI wicket and a taste of things to follow.
Tamim Iqbal's off stump spun out of its groove after he missed a full delivery from Kagiso Rabada in the fourth over. To the naked eye, it looked as if Tamim had missed inside the line of the ball, but Rabada had bowled a straight 138kph delivery that held its line and beat his bat from the outside. The ball delighted the bowler - it was his first ODI wicket and a taste of things to follow.
The hat-trick
Rabada removed Litton Das off the next ball and then prepared to run into Mahmudullah, who was making a comeback after recovering from a finger injury. Mahmudullah had missed the India series due to the injury and he would hardly have expected to walk into a hat-trick ball of a 20-year old debutant. Rabada pitched it right up, Mahmudullah missed the little in-swing and umpire Sharfuddoula slowly raised his index finger. Incidentally, Rabada was bowling from the same end that Taijul Islam bowled from, on December 1, to get his hat-trick on ODI debut.
Rabada removed Litton Das off the next ball and then prepared to run into Mahmudullah, who was making a comeback after recovering from a finger injury. Mahmudullah had missed the India series due to the injury and he would hardly have expected to walk into a hat-trick ball of a 20-year old debutant. Rabada pitched it right up, Mahmudullah missed the little in-swing and umpire Sharfuddoula slowly raised his index finger. Incidentally, Rabada was bowling from the same end that Taijul Islam bowled from, on December 1, to get his hat-trick on ODI debut.
The out-of-fizz slog-sweep
When he's in better form, Mushfiqur Rahim's slog sweep usually ends up near or beyond the midwicket boundary. With the runs drying up, however, his slog sweep reached long-on instead of midwicket. He tried the shot against Duminy in the 20th over and the circumspect hit could only reach as far as long-on where Imran Tahir took a sharp catch diving forward.
When he's in better form, Mushfiqur Rahim's slog sweep usually ends up near or beyond the midwicket boundary. With the runs drying up, however, his slog sweep reached long-on instead of midwicket. He tried the shot against Duminy in the 20th over and the circumspect hit could only reach as far as long-on where Imran Tahir took a sharp catch diving forward.
The release shot
South Africa were kept quiet after their first wicket fell. Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis didn't get loose deliveries for nearly four overs before de Kock got his hands on a Mashrafe half-volley and blasted it over mid-off for a boundary. It was a release shot that brought these two batsmen more boundaries in the following overs and raised South Africa's run-rate. The shot didn't turn the match, but it helped them get out of the shell.
South Africa were kept quiet after their first wicket fell. Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis didn't get loose deliveries for nearly four overs before de Kock got his hands on a Mashrafe half-volley and blasted it over mid-off for a boundary. It was a release shot that brought these two batsmen more boundaries in the following overs and raised South Africa's run-rate. The shot didn't turn the match, but it helped them get out of the shell.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84