Alan Chapman: "How many times have three batters scored their first centuries in the same innings? Can't be a lot!" -- Sampath tells me it has happened only once before - Gerry Gomez, Robert Christiani and Clyde Walcott against India in this Delhi Test in 1948-49.
3:52pm And the declaration is finally here. Seemed a long time coming and the trigger was pulled when Mulder smashed his way to a maiden Test ton. He was not the first to do so either, with de Zorzi and Stubbs putting together their respective career-best knocks, both of them getting to centuries yesterday. Bedingham also notched up a fifty, with Muthusamy showing off his repertoire of strokes towards the end alongside Mulder.
Plenty of toil and hard work for Bangladesh. Taijul picked up five but also conceded 196 runs. Rana was the only other wicket-taker in the innings and on a track that did not offer much, Bangladesh's ploy to play just four front-line bowlers came back to bite them. They have a mountain of runs in front of them now but will take heart from the fact that there are no real demons in this pitch. Yet. We will be back shortly.
The field is in, prompting Mulder to go over the top
Mulder on 99. Will SA declare if he gets to his hundred? Muthusamy, by the way, has ticked along to 70 as well. Markram, for what it is worth, has his whites on now
END OF OVER:144 | 12 Runs | SA: 569/6
- Wiaan Mulder99 (148b)
- Senuran Muthusamy68 (75b)
- Hasan Mahmud23-1-83-0
- Taijul Islam52-5-192-5
Uh-oh, looks like a penalty of five runs has been imposed on South Africa for running on the pitch. Muthusamy being the guilty party. So, effectively, Bangladesh will begin their innings 5-0
Pit: "SA don't want to bat again! So they're not declaring sooner!" -- Well, if Bangladesh bat for a significant period of time and tire the SA bowlers, the visitors might have to bat again
END OF OVER:143 | 4 Runs | SA: 557/6
- Wiaan Mulder92 (145b)
- Senuran Muthusamy63 (72b)
- Taijul Islam52-5-192-5
- Hasan Mahmud22-1-71-0
No signs yet that a declaration is imminent. Mulder inching closer to his hundred, with Muthusamy not very far behind. But how long should SA keep batting? Surely they will want to have a crack at Bangladesh sometime today? Here's Taijul for the first time this session
END OF OVER:142 | 2 Runs | SA: 553/6
- Wiaan Mulder89 (140b)
- Senuran Muthusamy62 (71b)
- Hasan Mahmud22-1-71-0
- Nahid Rana24-2-83-1
Ravi sankar: "If the pitch is staying docile like this, we are in for a run fest" -- Possible, but South Africa, with a well-rested attack, might just be able to extract more out of this surface....
Andre: "Ideally, the Proteas want 10-15 overs to bowl at Bangladesh at the end of the day. But when do they declare? Has bad light stoppage been consistent enough to predict?" -- The light started to fade yesterday around 4:30pm local time
