In the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram, South Africa captain Aiden Markram chose to bat first after winning the toss on Tuesday. Coming off a comfortable win in the first Test, South Africa adjusted their lineup for a more balanced attack, introducing fast bowler Dane Paterson and all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy. Spinner Dane Piedt and debutant batsman Matthew Breetze, who was dismissed for a duck in the first Test, made way for the two.
With the addition of Muthusamy, South Africa now fields two all-rounders, alongside Wiaan Mulder, who had a standout performance in the first match. Bringing Paterson in for Piedt also bolsters South Africa’s seam options, giving them three pacers on a pitch expected to offer less turn.
Bangladesh made two changes as well, responding to a training injury for batsman Jaker Ali, who suffered a concussion and was replaced by Zakir Hasan. Spinner Nayeeh Hasan was replaced by pacer Nahid Rana, aligning with the pitch conditions that appear to favour seam over spin.
Both teams' choices indicate a shift toward pace for the Chattogram Test, setting the stage for a potentially fast-paced contest.
Bangladesh: 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Mahidul Islam (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nahid Rana, 9 Zakir Hasan 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Hasan Mahmud.
South Africa: 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 David Bedingham, 5 Ryan Rickelton, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Senuran Muthusamy 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada 11 Dane Paterson.