Tigers push Kiwis into a corner
It was one of those rare days when the Tigers stalked as a group and put the Kiwis in a tight corner. Shakib Al Hasan might have taken three wickets deep into the final session, but it hardly portrayed how well Bangladesh's pace trio bowled on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand.
The home side, chasing Bangladesh's first innings total of 289, ended the day at 260 for seven thanks to Shakib's three wickets off nine deliveries that put the game in the balance going into the third day.
But ask New Zealand's Tom Latham, the left-handed opener who hit a fine 68, how well the Tigers have bowled as a group and he would tell you: “They didn't really give us anything to hit and we struggled to rotate the strike”.
The bowling was so controlled and inspiring that it could have easily taken the ten Black Caps wickets had the butterfingered fielders not dropped as many as four catches.
The home side moved to 45 for no loss but it could have been easily 4 for 1 had Mahmudullha grabbed a sharp chance offered by Jeet Raval in the fourth over of the day. The left-hander went on to score 29 but he was dropped again in the slips by Sabbir Rahman while batting on 12.
Ross Taylor scored 77. The right-hander, who featured in a valuable 124-run stand with Latham for the third wicket, could have been out for 4 had Mahmudullah clung on to a low catch at square leg. Taylor was dropped again on 75 and this time the fielder was Kamrul Islam Rabbi at deep mid-wicket.
Henry Nicholls, unbeaten on 56, was the beneficiary of a judgmental error from umpire Nigel Llong while he was on 45. Although the Bangladesh fielders appealed in unison for a caught behind off Taskin, the English umpire was unmoved. Replays later showed that the ball deviated off the bat. Unfortunately Bangladesh had no reviews left at that time.
But despite all those missed opportunities, the three pace bowlers -- Kamrul, Taskin and Rubel Hossain -- bowled their hearts out.
Kamrul served the first blow an hour into the first session when he had Raval bowled with the second ball of his very first over. Two balls later he removed New Zealand captain Kane Williamson with a pitched up delivery that the right-hander edged behind the wicket to Nurul Hasan.
The Black Caps, at 47 for two, were in all sorts of trouble against the twin attack of Kamrul and Rubel. It was arguably the best bowling partnership in the tour so far. Rubel might have failed to get a wicket but he was at his hostile best, leaving an experienced batsman like Taylor dancing to tune of his bouncing deliveries. He also struck Latham on the grill with a vicious bouncer.
Kamrul, at the other end, also bowled fast and straight. Taskin also came in hard and more importantly hardly erred in line and length. It was also a day when the pacers did not bowl an odd bad ball in an over, which has been a feature of their bowling for a long time.
And after all the good work in two and a half sessions, Bangladesh got their rewards when the home team were looking like taking a considerable lead.
Mitchell Santner, who put on 75 runs for the fifth wicket with Nicholls, became the first victim of Shakib. He was trapped in front of the wicket for 29. The left-hander asked for a review but the decision was upheld, reducing the home side to 252 for five. It soon turned 256 for 7 when wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling dragged an attempted cut on to his stump for one and Colin de Grandhomme was out for a three-ball duck by a clever arm ball from Shakib in the same over. New Zealand added four more runs before rain intervened and the umpires called it a day with 19 overs remaining.
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