Tanzid Hasan Tamim provided much-needed stability at the crease, guiding Bangladesh to 91 for three at lunch on the opening session after a disastrous start against South Africa’s pace attack.

Facing a formidable bowling unit, the visitors endured a nightmare beginning from the very first delivery of the innings. Debutant opener Mahfijul Islam Robin, taking strike at the start of the match, attempted to defend a probing delivery from Kagiso Rabada outside the off-stump. Lacking international experience at the highest level, Robin edged the ball straight to Marco Jansen in the slips.

With that dismissal, Robin etched his name into an unwanted chapter of cricket history. He became only the fourth opening batter in Test cricket to be dismissed off the very first ball of a match on debut, and the first Bangladeshi opener to suffer such a fate.

Rabada continued to wreak havoc with the new ball, exploiting the early morning conditions to dismantle Bangladesh’s top order. Experienced campaigner Mominul Haque departed in the third over, falling victim to the South African spearhead. The pressure mounted considerably when Rabada returned in the ninth over to claim his third scalp, removing Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto on the fifth delivery. At 22 for three, the touring side looked in danger of a complete collapse before the first interval.

Amid the ruins, Tanzid stood firm. Having registered his maiden Test century against Australia in Darwin earlier in his career, the left-handed opener had endured a lean patch across his subsequent five innings. However, displaying commendable temperament under duress, he weathered the storm and gradually rebuilt the innings. He reached his second Test half-century off 79 deliveries, bringing a sense of calm to the dressing room just before the umpires called for the luncheon interval.

Crucial to this revival was his unbroken fourth-wicket partnership with Towhid Hridoy. The pair absorbed the pressure effectively, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries to add 69 runs from 103 balls. Across the 26 overs bowled in the morning session, their disciplined resistance ensured Bangladesh avoided further damage.

Having navigated a treacherous opening two hours, the Tigers will rely heavily on the settled duo of Tanzid and Hridoy to capitalise on their hard work and build a competitive first-innings total during the remaining two sessions of the day.