The rain-gods enforced a dull draw in what was shaping up to be an interesting first Test between hosts Bangladesh and visitors South Africa at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. It took only a couple of hours into the fifth and final day before the match officials called off the affair at around 11:30am.
As a result of the persistent rainfall, the fourth and final days of the opening Test was washed away without any balls bowled. Although rain did take away a combined 50 overs from the first three days of action, the 221 overs played produced some glorious actions overall.
However, this was Bangladesh’s first drawn Test against South Africa in nine attempts over the last 15 years while it was the eighth draw, seventh at home, for the Tigers in which rain played a big role.
Including the first of two Tests, Bangladesh have played 92 five-dayers and have won just seven matches and drew 14 times. Among the draws, Bangladesh took the game to the fifth day, without any favour from the weather, on only six occasions.
The first rain-hit draw for Bangladesh came when two days of a Test match against Zimbabwe at Bangabandhu National Stadium in 2001 were washed away while the same sides were involved in a similar draw, this time in Bulawayo, in 2004.
Even the last Test match Bangladesh played prior to South Africa against India last month was forced to a draw at Fatullah’s Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium as rain allowed only 184.2 overs to take place in that game.