Naimul Karim

Right before the players left the field for the last time yesterday Mushfiqur Rahim called up Jubair Hossain and had a quick word with him near the wicket. By

Beautifully timed on-drives, elegant hits down the ground and plenty of patience against the faster bowlers were the features that were most visible in Litton Das's maiden half-century.

Top-order batsman Mahmudullah Riyad has said that the manner in which Bangladesh's batsmen played against the 'best bowling attack' in the world yesterday would give the hosts plenty of confidence.

Prior to the start of the Test in Chittagong, Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha had publicly stated that the main challenge for the hosts in this series would be South Africa's pacers and that the result of the battle between them and his batsmen could play a big role in deciding the outcome of the game.

The sight of a teenager clapping and laughing his guts out is soon becoming the country's most sought after scenario. Perhaps the best part about the spectacle is that when Mustafizur Rahman is on a roll, one doesn't get to witness the typical outrage of a fast bowler, but the innocent, childish joy of a youngster who has suddenly found the world at his feet.

In the backdrop of a series of amazing ODI victories, Bangladesh's performance in Chittagong yesterday might not have left everyone at the edge of their seats. But let's pause for a bit and try to grasp the intensity of the scenario.

Bangladesh will embark on their 50th Test match at home today when they take on South Africa at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong in the first match of the two-Test series.

He can deceive batsmen almost at will, can break the 140 km barrier every now and then, barely bowls outside his radar and has the hunger to transcend

Who says bowlers should have all the fun? Ask Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal, and they will tell you that that opening period of the second innings, when they literally demolished one of the best bowling attacks in the world, was the highlight of the series against South Africa. Ask the fans who braved the rains at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium and they will probably be taunting the spectators in Dhaka, for they managed to witness something that the capital could not; a total annihilation orchestrated by Bangladesh's batsmen.

It was in a BKSP camp in Narail where Shakib Al Hasan first met Mashrafe Bin Mortaza. Back then Shakib was a mere member of the 20-player group selected from the division, while Mashrafe, who had gone there to see the players train, was already considered as the next big thing.

MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shahid Afridi, Suresh Raina, Quinton de Kock and JP Duminy; these are names of just some of the players who have been outfoxed

Chandika Hathurusingha dropped his crutches on the ground, cautiously stretched his right foot forward and, with an imaginary bat in his hands, kept playing straight drives in front of Tamim Iqbal just as the left-hander was about to begin his batting session in Chittagong yesterday.

Comeback tales aren't that common in Bangladesh's cricketing folklore. The Tigers have, in general, found life difficult whenever they have made a losing start to a series.

Mashrafe Mortaza’s men have never beaten South Africa in a series. They have also never successfully won an ODI series, against a top-eight side, after losing the first match.

Prior to yesterday, Soumya Sarkar had been dismissed on nine occasions between the scores of 20 and 40. When a batsman depicts that kind of a statistic after playing just 15 matches, questions regarding his ability to play match-winning knocks naturally come to the fore.

When Farhaan Behardien was caught at deep mid-wicket in the last ball of the 46th over Bangladesh managed to overcome a mini-obstacle of sorts. It was the first time that the Tigers bundled out the South Africans at home.

On the field Kagiso Rabada was a menace. His sharp line and length, combined with the odd bouncers and lethal yorkers, almost

From the moment Arafat Sunny fired one of his loopy turners against AB de Villiers in the first over there were chants of ooh and ah in the press box. The

For the third time this year, Bangladesh will feature in a series against a side that has an overwhelming record against them. And for the third time this year,

Bangladesh T20I skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza urges his players not to think about the side’s previous records against South Africa and play fearless cricket in the upcoming series.