The first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa began on Thursday (March 31, 2022) at Kingsmead in Durban. When Tamim Iqbal was dropped from the playing XI for the first Test due to stomach pain, there was a fear that Bangladesh’s batting order would collapse against a well-versed South African bowling attack in the conditions. The concern was justified as most of Bangladesh's batters failed completely in the first innings, except for Mahmudul Hasan Joy. He was there at the crease till the end, playing the anchor role for the team. How Bangladesh players can take inspiration from Joy’s knock to save the first Test of the SA vs BAN series 2022 is discussed in this article.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy's Maiden Test Hundred Highlights
21-year-old Mahmudul Hasan Joy made his Test debut last December against Pakistan. He made 0 and 6 in his first Test match but caught the eye of many after playing a determined 78-run knock against New Zealand in the first Test of 2-match series earlier this January. He stunned everyone by staying five hours at the crease and making 78 runs in 228 balls. His knock laid the foundation of Bangladesh’s first innings and eventually took a commanding lead over New Zealand. Bangladesh went on to win the contest by 8 wickets, and that was arguably the best ever Test win in Bangladesh's history.
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Mahmudul Hasan’s 78-run knock can easily take a spot among the greatest Test innings by Bangladesh players. However, within three months, Joy produced his first Test hundred, which can be regarded as even better than the innings he played against New Zealand earlier this January. Mahmudul Hasan Joy opened the innings along with Shadman Islam in the first innings in the ongoing first match of the two-match Test series against South Africa. He stayed at the crease till the end and was the last man to get dismissed.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy played the anchor role for the team and constructed some crucial partnerships in the middle. He found himself in both good and difficult situations while building his innings, but he didn’t lose his concentration. Mahmudul Hasan’s determination was on another level, which can’t be compared to other Bangladesh batters.
Read Bangladesh 298 all out, South Africa lead by 75 in 1st Test
Mahmudul Hasan made 137 runs in 326 balls after spending more than seven hours at the crease. Overall, he hit fifteen boundaries and two sixes in the innings. Mahmudul Hasan formed two vital partnerships: one with Najmul Hossain Shanto for 55 runs for the second wicket, and the other with Litton Das for 82 runs for the sixth wicket.
The level of maturity and responsibility he showed in his innings was really admirable. It was an unbelievable effort by a 21-year-old batter. The rest of Bangladesh's players, especially the batters, should take inspiration from his attitude and focus to thrive in the middle.
With 137 runs, Mahmudul Hasan Joy also became the highest scorer among the Asian openers in South Africa. This was a really special achievement by Mahmudul Hasan.
Read Magnificent Mahmudul hits ton against South Africa
The Top Five Test Knocks in South Africa by Asian Openers
| Player | Runs |
| Mahmudul Hasan Joy (BAN) | 137 |
| Taufeeq Umar (PAK) | 135 |
| KL Rahul (IND) | 123 |
| Saeed Anwar (PAK) | 118 |
| Wasim Jaffer (IND) | 116 |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Bangladesh lose quick wickets to end Day 2 in Durban
First Test Match Scenario of SA vs BAN Series 2022
Batting first, South Africa scored 367 in their first innings. Tamba Bavuma scored the most runs for the Proteas, while pacer Khaled Ahmed took the most wickets for Bangladesh. In reply, Bangladesh were bowled out for 298 in their first innings, 69 runs behind South Africa’s first innings (367) total.
South Africa started their second innings in the final hour of day-3, and they would try to construct a lead in excess of 300 before giving Bangladesh a target to chase. The Bangladesh team has to play with a lot of determination in the fourth innings in order to earn a positive result. Therefore, the last two days of the match would be very interesting to watch.
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Bottom Line
Mahmudul Hasan Joy showed real promise in the first innings. Joy's knock displays that anyone can play long innings on this surface if they can give themselves some time to adapt to the pitch conditions. Joy’s determination was on a different level, and the rest of the Bangladesh players needed to learn how to stay long at the crease in order to play long innings.
The first Test match of the SA vs BAN series 2022 is evenly matched. Both Bangladesh and South Africa have the potential to win the opening match if they play with confidence for the remaining two days and execute their respective game plans properly.