Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan recreate 111-year-old record in South Africa

Not often do we get to see two spinners opening the bowling in from both ends in International cricket in South Africa but Bangladesh decided to go with the two trusted options Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan in the first of the 2-match T20I series at Bloemfontein. The Bangladeshis have made it a habit of starting with spinners irrespective of the country and conditions they’re playing in. Thus the Asian side recorded the first instance in 111 years where two spinners started off the proceedings in an International game on South African soil.

In the New Year’s Test match between South Africa and England in 1906 at Johannesburg, the home team started off with Reggie Schwarz and Aubrey Faulkner after England elected to bat. Faulkner was a leg-spinner while Schwarz used to bowl right-arm pace and off-spin. In that game, Schwarz bowled spin as his stock ball was the googly. The home team won the game by a 1 wicket margin after they chased down 284 runs in the 4th innings.

Ever since his debut in Test cricket last year, Mehidy has developed a habit of bowling with the new ball in all formats and in all conditions. He bowled the second over of the game today and got the crucial wicket of Hashim Amla. Shakib, the Bangladesh skipper for this T20I series, took up the responsibility of opening with the ball for his side. Shakib, who is playing his 60th T20I and the 290th game in International cricket, bowled the first over of the game for the first time.

Previous instance

Overall, this was only the 3rd instance for Bangladesh where two spinners bowled the first two overs of an International game. The previous such instances for Bangladesh came in the last two T20Is between the two teams played in Bangladesh in 2015. Arafat Sunny and Nasir Hossain opened the bowling respectively in 2015 after South Africa elected to bat.