Proteas make strong start

Potchefstroom - South African opening batsmen Dean Elgar and new cap Aiden Markram gave their side a solid start on the first day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Senwes Park on Thursday.

LIVE: Proteas v Bangladesh, Day 1

The Proteas were 99 for no wicket at lunch with Elgar on 56 and Markram on 43.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat, a decision which left South African captain Faf du Plessis "very surprised" because, he said, conditions looked ideal for batting, with a dry pitch likely to help spin bowlers later in the match.

The batsmen were seldom troubled against a bowling attack which included three seam bowlers and a lone spin bowler in off-spinner Mehedy Hasan, who came on to bowl after only five overs.

Markram, who captained South Africa to the 2014 Under-19 World Cup title, was Elgar's fourth opening partner of the year and together they posted South Africa's first half-century start in 16 Test innings.

South Africa fielded a second new cap in all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo, who together with fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, was a team-mate of Markram in the Under-19 side.

Teams:

South Africa

Faf du Plessis (capt), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Duanne Olivier

Bangladesh

Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Imrul Kayes, Tamim Iqbal, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Liton Das (wkt), Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain

Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)