Tawhid Hridoy of Bangladesh celebrates a century during the 2026 1st Test against the Proteas at Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.
The opening day of the Proteas series against Bangladesh delivered both a cracking first and last ball at the Wanderers on Sunday.
A brilliant Kagiso Rabada set the tone with a wicket in the morning, while Marco Jansen closed off the day by trapping centurion Towhid Hridoy (137, 227 balls, 14x4, 1x6) with the final act.
But everything in between was equally dramatic on a high-quality first day of the series. Rabada produced another masterclass of fast bowling at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, but even his brilliance could not prevent Bangladesh from breaking a host of batting records.
Rabada claimed his 18th career Test five-wicket haul, reducing the visitors to 22/3 after they elected to bat, but a magnificent century from Hridoy in, followed by a record-breaking 206-run partnership with Litton Das, transformed the contest.
Bangladesh recovered from a disastrous start to put themselves in a commanding position, with Hridoy leading the fightback and the Proteas left searching for answers after a day that began so promisingly for the home side.
It was a tale of two extraordinary individual performances.
Rabada was sensational with the new ball, striking with the very first delivery of the match to remove Test debutant Mahfijul Islam, who edged behind to Jansen at gully for a golden duck.
He followed that up by dismissing Mominul Haque, caught behind by Ryan Rickelton, before producing a delivery of genuine quality to send Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto's off stump cartwheeling.
At 22/3, the Proteas were firmly in the driving seat and looked set to run through the Bangladeshi batting order.
However, Hridoy and Tanzid Hasan had other ideas.
The pair showed tremendous composure to negotiate the early examination from Rabada and the South African attack, rebuilding the innings with a valuable fourth-wicket partnership.
Tanzid was particularly impressive, taking the fight to the Proteas with an attacking 67 off 108 deliveries, including 12 boundaries, while Hridoy provided the composure at the other end.
Their partnership was worth 99 runs before Rabada returned to break it, bowling Tanzid before removing Mushfiqur Rahim with the very next delivery to complete his five-wicket haul.
The Proteas spearhead finished with 5/51, having accounted for the first five Bangladeshi wickets to fall on the day.
But while Rabada was celebrating another personal milestone, Bangladesh were far from finished.
Hridoy, fresh from his remarkable 242 not out and 82 against the West Indies, continued his outstanding recent form, displaying the temperament and technique required to bat for long periods against a quality South African attack.
He found an ideal partner in Das, who joined him with Bangladesh precariously placed at 121/5.
The pair took the game away from the Proteas with an extraordinary sixth-wicket partnership, combining patience with calculated aggression to frustrate Temba Bavuma and his bowlers.
Hridoy brought up his half-century and then accelerated towards three figures, while Das grew increasingly comfortable at the crease, finding the boundary regularly and putting pressure back on the South African attack.
The partnership surpassed 138 to establish a new record for any Bangladesh wicket against South Africa, underlining just how significant their recovery had been.
It also passed the 200-run mark, with neither batter showing any inclination to give their wickets away.
Hridoy eventually celebrated a superb maiden Test century on South African soil, bowing to the ground in gratitude after reaching the milestone.
It was a particularly significant achievement for the 25-year-old, who has quickly established himself as one of Bangladesh's most exciting batting prospects.
Das was equally important to the recovery, providing excellent support as the pair took Bangladesh beyond 300 and turned what had threatened to be a difficult opening day into one of considerable promise for the visitors.
It would have even greater had Jansen not trapped the sensational Hridoy as the Highveld shadowns legthened.
While Rabada delivered exactly the sort of performance the Proteas have come to expect from him, the supporting cast struggled to find the same penetration.
Simon Harmer, fresh from his outstanding performances against Australia, was unable to provide the breakthrough South Africa desperately needed, while the other bowlers were made to work hard for their rewards.
The visitors deserve enormous credit for the manner in which they recovered from Rabada's early assault, while Das will hope to continue on Monday as he looks to reach his milestone.