Kagiso Rabada decimates Bangladesh on debut
Kagiso Rabada became only the second man in history to claim a hat-trick on debut as South Africa thrashed Bangladesh by eight wickets in a rain-hit first ODI in Dhaka on Friday.
Rabada finished with 6-16, the best ever one-day haul by a debutante, as Bangladesh were folded 160 in 36.3 overs after the hosts opted to bat first on a rain-soaked pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Set a simple target, South Africa coasted without major hiccups, reaching 164-2 with nearly nine overs in hand to take 1-0 lead in three-match series.
Faf du Plessis made an unbeaten 63 from 75 balls and put 99 runs with Rilee Rossouw in an unbroken third wicket stand after early dismissals of stand-in captain Hashim Amla (14) and Quinton de Kock (35).
Rossouw, who was 45 not out, completed the win when he cut part-time leg-spinner Sabbir Rahman for a four towards point.
The match was reduced to a 40-over-a-side affair after monsoon downpour delayed the start of play for two hours and 40 minutes.
Rabada, selected ahead of experienced Morne Morkel, struck in the third ball of his second over when he sent the off-stump of opener Tamim Iqbal cartwheeling.
He then made one-down Litton Das offer a low catch to Farhaan Behardien at midwicket and trapped Mahmudullah leg-before in his next two deliveries to complete the hat-trick.
He joined Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam, who achieved the feat against Zimbabwe at the same ground in December.
The 20-year-old pacer later dismissed other opener Soumya Sarkar before Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim provided a brief resistance for Bangladesh with 53-run fifth wicket stand.
Shakib top-scored 48 runs for the home side facing 51 balls while Rahim added 24.
Rabada returned in his second spell to add the wickets of Mashrafe Mortaza and Jubair Hossain to shatter the best ODI debut wicket-taking record held by West Indies’ Fidel Edwards. Edwards claimed 6-22 against Zimbabwe in 2003.
Rabada is the first South African to bag six wickets on debut and only the second South African bowler to claim five wickets in his first ODI match.
The other South African to achieve the feat is Allan Donald who took 5-29 against India at Kolkata in 1991.
Nasir Hossain lent some late resistance to score 31 off 44 balls before he was bowled by Chris Morris, who finished with 2-32.
The second and third ODI of the three-match series will be held on July 12 and 15 respectively in Dhaka and Chittagong.
