South Africa v Bangladesh 2017: 1st Test, Day 1 – Statistical Highlights

Winning the toss was the only moment Bangladesh got to cherish on the first day of the Potchefstroom Test as South Africa posted 298 for the loss of one wicket at end of the day. The opening pair of Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar put on a huge 196-run stand before the debutant Markram was run out on 97, the only way the home team looked like losing a wicket during the day. Elgar scored an unbeaten 128 while Amla remained unbeaten on 68.

Here we look at all the stats and records created during the day’s play.

3 – Number of players including Aiden Markram who have been run out in their 90s on Test debut. Pakistan’s Abdul Kadir (95) against Australia in 1964 and Gordon Greenidge (93) against India in 1974 are the two other players to be dismissed run out in the 90s on debut.

6 – Markram missed out on joining the list of six South Africans who scored a century on Test debut. His 97-run innings is the 7th highest individual score on Test debut for South Africa.

167 – Aggregate of South Africa’s 14 opening partnerships in their last seven Tests before this game. Only once they had a 20+ partnership for the first wicket in the last seven Tests.

196 – The 196-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar is the highest opening stand for South Africa in Tests since the 204 runs Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie scored against England in 2008 Lord’s Test. This is also the highest opening partnership in Tests in South Africa since the 217-run stand between Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers against Zimbabwe at Cape Town in 2005.

895 – Dean Elgar has scored 895 runs in Test cricket in 2017. These are the most by any player in this year going past India’s Cheteshwar Pujara, who has 851 runs. Elgar’s four centuries in 2017 Tests are also the most by any player.

2008 – The last instance of a South African player getting run out in the 90s in Test cricket was Ashely Prince (98) in 2008 against Windies. Overall, Markram is the 6th South African to be dismissed run out in the 90s in this format.