South Africa was shocked by Bangladesh in the ODI series as the visitors won 2-1 against a full-strength South African team. Now, South Africa is going to be without six of its first-choice players ( all of them have chosen IPL over the Test series) and will certainly be a bit nervous going into this series. There is a lot at stake too. South Africa is currently second in the ICC World Test Championship rankings and will harbor hopes of competing for that title. Bangladesh had never won a single match in South Africa in any format before this tour. That history makes no difference to the team that has improved quite dramatically. All the cricket betting sites are still favoring South Africa to win but the odds are a bit more generous than you would otherwise get. Match prediction and cricket betting tips for South Africa vs Bangladesh 1st Test 2022. The match is going to be played at Kingsmead, Durban starting on the 31st of March 2022. RSA VS BAN TEAM PREVIEWS SOUTH AFRICA South Africa is going to be without Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, and Lungi Ngidi. That means all of its first-choice fast-bowling attacks are unavailable for selection and a couple of its premier batsmen as well. The depth of South African cricket is going to be tested quite severely. We are looking at Duanne Olivier, Lutho Sipamla, Daryn Dupavillon, and Keshav Maharaj to form the bowling attack for the first match. Simon Harmer may also get a go depending on the conditions. This is not a premier fast-bowling attack but it is still going to be tough to face in South African conditions. Also, make no mistake that the curator is going to leave a healthy amount of grass on the surface for this match! The batting line-up looks vulnerable as well with Dean Elgar, Keegan Petersen, Sarel Erwee, Temba Bavuma, and Khaya Zondo likely to play. However, Elgar, Petersen, and Bavuma gave an excellent account of themselves against India so there is some hope here. Understandably, South Africa will go into this match as the favorite but we are not going to be betting on it at the odds being offered. There are just too many variables right now. BANGLADESH Bangladesh will sense a historic opportunity to win its first-ever Test match in South Africa. The team played brilliantly in the ODI’s led by the brilliant Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam. Seven of the players that won the ODI series are also going to be playing the Test series. The confidence of having beaten South Africa recently is a huge plus for these players. Also, the fact that Bangladesh’s fast bowling was very impressive is something that bodes well for them. Taskin Ahmed will play a central role in this Test series and we think he is certainly capable of putting in a match-winning performance. With Shoriful Islam, Khaled Ahmed, and Mehidy Hasan all likely to be in the playing eleven, Bangladesh’s bowling attack is not bad. If the pitch at Durban does spin, Mehidy Hasan will be difficult to face and if there is extra grass, then the pacers will be more dangerous. The batting lineup for Bangladesh is going to be boosted by having Tamim Iqbal available. He was in good form during the ODI’s and will add a lot of heft to the lineup. Litton Das, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Yasir Ali are all likely to play the first Test as well. We would pick either Tamim Iqbal or Mominul Haque as the candidates for the Top Batter betting market in this match. Bangladesh is a dangerous team with recent success on its side. We cannot help but feel tempted by the odds that are on offer right now. SOUTH AFRICA VS BANGLADESH MATCH DETAILS: Match: Bangladesh vs South Africa, 1st Test, Bangladesh tour of South Africa, 2022 Date and Time: March 31st Thursday – April 4th Monday, 2022, Thursday, 01:30 PM IST Venue: Kingsmead, Durban SOUTH AFRICA VS BANGLADESH PITCH REPORT The pitch at Kingsmead is a bowling-friendly track. The new ball bowlers will get some lateral movement off the surface and the batters will have to be patient early in their innings. The pacers are expected to get some extra bounce off the surface and the batters have to adjust to the conditions. SOUTH AFRICA VS BANGLADESH WEATHER FORECAST The temperature on the opening day of the Test in Durban is expected to hover between 20-28 degrees Celsius. Rain is predicted over the five days. We might witness rain interruptions during the match. SOUTH AFRICA VS BANGLADESH PROBABLE XI SOUTH AFRICA PROBABLE XI Dean Elgar (c), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Temba Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Duanne Olivier, Lutho Sipamla, Lizaad Williams BANGLADESH PROBABLE XI Tamim Iqbal, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (wk), Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam TOP PICKS ­– BATTERS Sarel Erwee scored a famous century in his only 2nd Test in the tough conditions of New Zealand. He is very composed and knows how to build innings. He is a good pick for your fantasy teams. Tamim Iqbal is playing a Test match after a break of 11 months. He has amassed 4788 runs in 64 Test matches at an average of 39.57. TOP PICKS ­– ALL-ROUNDERS Wiaan Mulder has played 8 Test matches in his career so far where he has scored 205 runs at an average of 15.76 and picked up 14 wickets as well. Shakib Al Hasan has impressive numbers in all forms of the game. In his 59 Test matches, he has mustered 4029 runs at an average of 39.5 and picked up 215 wickets. TOP PICKS ­– BOWLERS Duanne Olivier will lead the South African bowling line-up. He bowls very good line and lengths and more importantly swings the ball both ways. In only 13 Test matches, he has scalped 56 wickets with the best figures of 6 for 37 in an innings. Ebadot Hossain is the bowler to watch out for Bangladesh. He was the main man behind Bangladesh’s famous win over New Zealand. In 12 Test matches, he has picked up 20 wickets with the best figures of 6 for 46 in an innings. TOP PICKS ­– WICKET KEEPERS Kyle Verreynne had impressed with his batting skills on the New Zealand tour where he scored his maiden century in the 2nd Test of the series. In 6 Test matches, he has scored 248 runs at an average of 31 with the highest score of 136*. SOUTH AFRICA VS BANGLADESH MATCH PREDICTION The Test series between South Africa and Bangladesh kicks off on March 31. After their recent success in the ODI series, Bangladesh will be hoping to repeat their performance in the longest format. The Proteas will be wary of them and need to be on their toes while facing them. The home conditions will favor the Proteas and expect them to get an early lead in the series. Prediction: South Africa to win this encounter.