South Africa secured a convincing 7-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first Test of the BAN vs SA series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on October 24th. Kyle Verreynne, the talented wicket-keeper batter, was named the Player of the Match for his exceptional century in the second innings.
This triumph marks South Africa's first win on the Asian continent in over a decade, with their previous victory dating back to 2014. The win has propelled South Africa to fourth place in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table, with an impressive points percentage (PCT) of 47.61%.
Prior to their success in Dhaka, South Africa was positioned sixth in the WTC standings, having won two out of six matches with a PCT of 38.89%.
With five Tests still remaining in the current World Test Championship cycle, South Africa has the opportunity to secure a top-two spot if they win all five matches, finishing with a remarkable 69.44% (barring any penalties for slow over rates). Even winning four out of five matches would boost their percentage to 61.11%, giving them a strong chance for a top-two finish, depending on the outcomes of India's, Australia's, and Sri Lanka's matches.
Talking about the match, Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first. Led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh struggled with the bat as they were dismissed for just 106 runs, with Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, and Wiaan Mulder each taking three wickets. In response, South Africa scored 308 runs in the second innings, highlighted by a brilliant century from Kyle Verreynne.
Facing an innings defeat, Bangladesh fought back with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz's impressive 97-run innings, setting a target of 106 runs for South Africa. The South African team chased down the target comfortably, securing a seven-wicket victory in the Test match.
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