'I believe the bowlers worked hard and bowled well'

South Africa ended the first day of the Chattogram Test with a commanding score of 307 for 2 wickets. On the same day, both Tony de Zorji and Tristan Stubbs achieved their maiden Test centuries. The batting-friendly pitch in Chattogram means that head coach Phil Simmons is not overly disappointed at this stage. He began the press conference by defending his bowlers, looking for confidence from the Pakistan series despite the deluge of runs from the Proteas. Bangladesh will enter the second day with thoughts of winning the match.

Throughout the day, Bangladesh managed to take only two wickets. However, if they hadn’t missed a couple of catches, this number could have been higher. With the help of Taijul Islam, the Tigers claimed two wickets but lamented the missed opportunities for more. Simmons echoed this sentiment, saying:

"I can’t say I’m disappointed, but it was an excellent batting wicket. I believe the bowlers worked hard and bowled well, though they missed a few opportunities. Had they capitalized on those, we could have taken 4-5 wickets. It was a tough day, but I won’t say I’m disappointed."

On the first day of the Chattogram Test, South Africa showed their dominance. Bangladesh had only two opportunities to celebrate a wicket throughout the day, while the rest of the time was filled with frustration. In contrast, a wave of relief swept through the Proteas' dressing room with their twin centuries. Due to insufficient light, the day's play ended early, with South Africa scoring 307 runs for 2 wickets in 81 overs.

How does Bangladesh plan to move forward in this situation? Simmons shared their strategy:

"The focus now is to come back tomorrow morning and take some wickets as quickly as possible, to get them all out. We had good results in Pakistan, winning matches even when the opposition scored 400-500 runs. We definitely have thoughts of winning. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow morning. We always have to think about winning the match first, then consider other factors."