Sublime Soumya returns
Bangladesh scored 289 before being bowled out on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval yesterday. The Tigers batted the entire day on a seaming and bouncy pitch coupled with that chilling wind blowing across the ground.
It was not a bad effort considering the glut of injuries they had going into the game. The most pleasing sight for the visitors was the return of Soumya Sarkar at the top with a sublime 86. Opening in a Test match for the first time, the left-hander not only raced to his maiden fifty but also featured in a productive 127-run stand with an assured Shakib Al Hasan for the wicket after Tamim iqbal had a forgettable debut as skipper and yet another no-show from Mahmudullah.
Coming in as a replacement for injured opener Imrul Kayes, Soumya batted beautifully and raced to his fifty with a pleasing on-drive for four against Colin de Grandhomme. Shakib scored an equally impressive 59. But when it looked like they were heading for a big partnership, they suffered soft dismissals.
Soumya went for a drive off Trent Boult but it stopped a bit and the left-hander lobbed the ball to cover where Grandhomme took a good diving catch. His dismissal after the lunch break sparked a collapse and Bangladesh, who were comfortably placed at 165 for two, suddenly slipped to 179 for five.
After scoring half centuries in both innings of the opening Test in Wellington Sabbir Rahman was undone by a well-directed bouncer from Boult. The right-hander fended it off to Boult's partner in crime with the ball, Tim Southee, at third slip after scoring only seven. Shakib was caught down the leg side while trying to glide the ball down to the vacant fine-leg boundary. It may be a safe shot in conditions like in Bangladesh, but with a bit of bounce and movement in this part of the world these apparent harmless deliveries can be very deceptive. And if you cannot connect with a good part of the bat you are always susceptible to a caught-behind dismissal and Shakib fell into that trap after playing so well.
The two debutants -- wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan and young Nazmul Hossain -- then took the score close to the 250 mark. Nazmul, who was travelling with the team as a member of the development squad but suddenly found himself in the team following a late injury blow to Mominul Haque, played well for his 56-ball 18. It was not the amount of runs he scored but how he negotiated the hostile attack that impressed most.
Nurul Hasan was their third-highest scorer with 47. Dropped at slip while on four, the tall right-hander struck five fours in a 98-ball vigil.
But when it comes to occupying the crease against a two-pronged pace attack considered the best in these conditions, Kamrul Islam Rabbi deserved an award for the way he played against Southee and Boult. He scored only two but faced 63 deliveries. Besides, the way he ducked, moved away from the firing line and left alone those swinging deliveries was something a top-order batsman in the Tigers' ranks would be envious of.
Rubel Hossain scored an enterprising 16 but also got a nasty blow on his right elbow from Boult. The experienced pace bowler however is lucky to have escaped a fracture on his bowling arm.
The Southee-Boult combination took nine wickets with Southee claiming five for 94. Boult, the more aggressive of the two, finished with four for 87.
Bangladesh will come out to bowl today and if you take Soumya's words for granted it would be an interesting day.
“The job of our bowlers will be to take ten wickets. I think it's not an easy wicket and if they can bowl in the right areas they can do it,” said Soumya. But the question is if the fielders would be able to grab those chances created by the bowlers.
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