Rudolph and Dippenaar make Bangladesh sweat
Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar gave their controversyplagued team a much-needed happiness tonic with a mammoth 323-run stand for the third wicket
Wisden Bulletin by Raja M
25-Apr-2003
Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar gave their controversyplagued team a much-needed happiness tonic with a mammoth
323-run stand for the third wicket. By the close of play on the
second day, South Africa led by 191, having added 280 runs
without losing a wicket against a tattered bowling attack that
lacked ideas, skill and support in the field.
Rudolph, who escaped a missed stumping when on 98, and
Dippenaar, who was let-off when only 47, cashed in. They paced
their partnership at the sedate rate of three runs an over,
maintaining concentration throughout a sweltering, energysapping day that snuffed out even umpire Billy Bowden's
flamboyant signalling. Rudolph went on to make the highest
score by a South African batsman on Test debut, and Dippenaar
notched his second Test century, as they became the first
South African pair to bat through the day.
Rudolph and Dippenaar flexed their muscles only after tea, with
Rudolph smashing Enamul Haque, the leg spinner, for the first six
of the innings in the 98th over. Thereafter, they took heavy toll
of a weary, demoralized side that had used eight bowlers
without success.
Rudolph's off side batting was the highlight of the day. He
repeatedly stepped out to drive boundaries through cover with
pleasing balance and timing. Left-handed and standing erect in
his stance with an upraised bat, his delightful footwork helped
him negotiate the low, uneven bounce, on a pitch that promised
to be a nightmare on the fourth day - if the match lasted that
long.
Bangladesh's miserable day was compounded by Khaled
Mahmud's baffling captaincy. He refused to take the new ball
when it was due after tea, choosing to let his quick bowlers toil
with a battered ball that was over 100-overs old. He himself set
a bad example by bowling erratically, persisting in bowling short
to the well-set batsmen.
In the morning session, Mahmud gave Mashrafe Mortaza just
three overs and took him off just when he seemed to be settling
into the rhythm that had been missing yesterday. Then, he
switched Haque, Mortaza's replacement, to the other end after
he had spun two balls sharply across Dippenaar's bat.
Alok Kapali, the leg spinner, was brought on after an inexplicable
delay, and Mahmud made his - and Bangladesh's - day worse by
dropping Dippenaar at first slip - a position normally manned by
Habibul Bashar - in his first over.
Mohammad Salim, the wicket keeper, added to Bangladesh's
woes, fumbling an easy leg side stumping when Rudolph - then
on 98 - charged Mohammad Ashraful just before tea. He missed
the ball completely, but so did Salim, to continue his side's
embarrassing existence at the Test level.