da pinnacle： Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar gave their controversyplagued team a much-needed happiness tonic with a mammoth323-run stand for the third wicket
Wisden Bulletin by Raja M25-Apr-2003Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar gave their controversyplagued team a much-needed happiness tonic with a mammoth323-run stand for the third wicket. By the close of play on thesecond day, South Africa led by 191, having added 280 runswithout losing a wicket against a tattered bowling attack thatlacked ideas, skill and support in the field.Rudolph, who escaped a missed stumping when on 98, andDippenaar, who was let-off when only 47, cashed in. They pacedtheir partnership at the sedate rate of three runs an over,maintaining concentration throughout a sweltering, energysapping day that snuffed out even umpire Billy Bowden’sflamboyant signalling. Rudolph went on to make the highestscore by a South African batsman on Test debut, and Dippenaarnotched his second Test century, as they became the firstSouth African pair to bat through the day.Rudolph and Dippenaar flexed their muscles only after tea, withRudolph smashing Enamul Haque, the leg spinner, for the first sixof the innings in the 98th over. Thereafter, they took heavy tollof a weary, demoralized side that had used eight bowlerswithout success.Rudolph’s off side batting was the highlight of the day. Herepeatedly stepped out to drive boundaries through cover withpleasing balance and timing. Left-handed and standing erect inhis stance with an upraised bat, his delightful footwork helpedhim negotiate the low, uneven bounce, on a pitch that promisedto be a nightmare on the fourth day – if the match lasted thatlong.Bangladesh’s miserable day was compounded by KhaledMahmud’s baffling captaincy. He refused to take the new ballwhen it was due after tea, choosing to let his quick bowlers toilwith a battered ball that was over 100-overs old. He himself seta bad example by bowling erratically, persisting in bowling shortto the well-set batsmen.In the morning session, Mahmud gave Mashrafe Mortaza justthree overs and took him off just when he seemed to be settlinginto the rhythm that had been missing yesterday. Then, heswitched Haque, Mortaza’s replacement, to the other end afterhe had spun two balls sharply across Dippenaar’s bat.Alok Kapali, the leg spinner, was brought on after an inexplicabledelay, and Mahmud made his – and Bangladesh’s – day worse bydropping Dippenaar at first slip – a position normally manned byHabibul Bashar – in his first over.Mohammad Salim, the wicket keeper, added to Bangladesh’swoes, fumbling an easy leg side stumping when Rudolph – thenon 98 – charged Mohammad Ashraful just before tea. He missedthe ball completely, but so did Salim, to continue his side’sembarrassing existence at the Test level.