Azad Majumder . Chittagong

Records are made to be broken, but not everyday one gets a chance to rewrite the history of the game for a country like the way South African Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie did on Friday.

The pair presented the Bangladesh bowlers a nightmare on the opening day of the second Test to compile an unbroken 405-run partnership that erased many records from the history of their country.

Thanks to Smith and McKenzie, South African cricket simply enjoyed one of its greatest days. They are now just eight runs short of the world record for the opening partnership of 413 held by MH Mankad and P Roy of India which came against New Zealand at Chennai (Madras) in 1955/56.

In South Africa’s previous Test at Chittagong (at the MA Aziz Stadium) Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar batted through a full day while adding an unbroken 429 for the third wicket.

This is the only previous time that a South African pair has batted through a full day. South Africa have now scored 834 runs in Tests at Chittagong since they last lost a wicket in Chittagong.

On Friday, South Africa also enjoyed their best ever start in Test cricket eclipsing the previous record of 368 runs, held by Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs against Pakistan in Cape Town in 2003. ‘We were just told about the records.

Obviously I was involved with Herschelle in the previous record, which I knew about. ‘For me the focus is now archived the mark of 415,’ said Smith, who remained unbeaten on 223 at stumps. Smith became the third player to be involved in four triple-century partnerships in Tests.

Don Bradman was involved in five and Smith joins Herschelle Gibbs on 4. Smith is the first player to be involved in four triple-century partnerships for the first wicket. Smith also becomes the first South African to score four Test double-centuries. His former opening partner Gary Kirsten has three. He reached 5,000 runs while he was 86.

Only the other South Africans — Jacques Kallis, Gary Kristen and Herschelle Gibbs have done it so far. Graeme Smith is the second youngest player to reach 5,000 Test runs (aged 27 years, 28 days). Sachin Tendulkar (25 years, 301 days) is the youngest. ‘For me the wicket played really well , it’s got little bit more carry than the last one. Once you get in, it’s all about making your runs count,’ Smith said after the first day’s play.

‘At one stage, the ball was reverse swing a bit. I think Mackey and I had solid control. Bangladesh had stuck to a plan all the day but for us. It’s all about keeping discipline,’ he said. ‘I have got quite a few double hundreds. So, I know it is hard work.

You have got to concentrate all the way through. Obviously I was not expecting one 400-plus-partnership. It’s great. In the team meeting we emphasised on partnership so much. Be a part of it is luck,’ he added.

Smith may have overshadowed his partner McKenzie with a double century, but he too had an occasion to celebrate. His unbeaten 169 was his third Test century, but it took him at least seven years to get another one since he made the third century. And the right-handed opener gave some credit to his partner and skipper.

‘Batting with Graeme is always great, you will never be under pressure as he will take scoreboard flying, so I never thought that I was struggling. We complemented each other very nicely,’ said McKenzie.

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