Tigers self-destruct after Imrul injury
Opener Imrul Kayes was stretchered off the ground with pain after scoring 24 in an opening stand of 46 with Tamim Iqbal and his departure sparked a Bangladesh second-innings collapse in the final session on the fourth day of the opening Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve today.
The left-hander, who stood behind the wicket for nearly five sessions in the absence of injured Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, was taking a sharp single when he injured his left thigh. He was in agony and was taken to hospital where an X-Ray report confirmed that there was no fracture. But he was not in a position to walk without any support when he returned to the team hotel from the hospital at around 9:00pm.
His departure suddenly changed the complexion of the game and Bangladesh, who were nicely building on a crucial 56-run first-innings lead after the home team were all out for 539, collapsed to 66 for three at stumps on the fourth day.
To be honest, vice-captain Tamim Iqbal pressed the self-destruct button when he injudiciously tried to cut left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner off the back foot against an incoming delivery and was bowled for 25, leaving Bangladesh at 50 for one. After the departure of Imrul in the 13th over of a possible 23 overs left in the day's play, it was expected from Tamim to play more sensibly. But his reverse sweep in the next over and that dreadful late cut a ball later was uncalled for.
A nervous Mahmudullah Riyad then departed for five -- he was caught down the leg side off Neil Wagner. He has so far showed that he is very uncomfortable against short-pitched deliveries just above the rib-cage, which the Black Caps exploited during the limited-overs series.
Bangladesh were reduced to 63 for two and it soon turned 66 for three when night-watchman Mehedi Hasan Miraz was run out in hopeless fashion. He set off for a second run which was never there and by the time he backtracked to regain his crease a direct hit from Santner dislodged the wickets at the non-strikers' end.
Thankfully, the umpires called it a day after his dismissal and Bangladesh finished their second innings with a lead of 122 runs and seven wickets remaining to set up an interesting fifth and final day.
Earlier, New Zealand began the fourth day on 292 for three and were bowled out for 539, but not before Santner hit a career-best 73 that allowed the home side to get close to Bangladesh's huge 595 for eight declared.
Santner hit some lusty blows after Kamrul Islam Rabbi ended the misery of Neil Wagner, who was struck twice on the helmet in an over before top-edging an attempted pull that substitute wicketkeeper Imrul took comfortably. It was the fifth catch for Imrul which is a Test record for a sub keeper.
In the second session of the day, Mahmudullah popped up on the horizon with two wickets in an over as Bangladesh opened up the prospect of a considerable first innings lead against the home team.
The occasional off-spinner struck with the very first ball with a harmless delivery that was going down the leg side. But BJ Watling on 49 and having dominated a 73-run seventh-wicket stand with Mitchell Santner, went for the pull shot but could not middle it, with the ball running off the face of the bat towards the keeper. A smart Imrul Kayes behind the wicket took it beautifully and appealed for a caught behind. But the umpire was unmoved and the stand-in keeper promptly asked for a review, which confirmed the dismissal.
Mahmudullah then struck with his fifth delivery, a simple leg-before decision against Tim Southee for one. The home side were quickly reduced to 473 for eight, 122 runs behind Bangladesh's imposing total. They went for tea at 492-8.
In the first session, Shakib Al Hasan struck for a second time just before lunch and it was opener Tom Latham. Batting on 177, the left-handed opener swept the ball but missed it completely and was adjudged leg-before.
It was Latham's highest Test score, beating his previous best of 137.
Shakib had earlier struck in the first hour when the left-arm spinner removed Henry Nicholls for 53. The New Zealand middle-order batsman was caught at leg slip by Miraz. His dismissal ended the 142-run fourth-wicket stand between Nicholls and opener Tom Latham with the score on 347 for four.
The home side lost another wicket after adding another 19 runs to the total. This time debutant right-arm pacer Subhashis Roy got his first Test wicket by removing Colin de Grandhomme after the batsman had hit him for a four and a six over deep square leg. It was a full ball and Grandhomme wanted to thrash it through the covers but could only manage an inside edge to Imrul behind the wicket after making 16.
Bangladesh took the second new ball after 80 overs but the pacers failed to make any impact on a day which was mostly cloudy and there is a possibility of rain.
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