A rare good Tigers day
Debutants Tamim Iqbal and Zunaed Siddiqui put on a record partnership for the first wicket as Bangladesh staged a dramatic turnaround in their second innings against New Zealand on the second day of the first Test at the University Oval in Dunedin yesterday.
The left-handed duo added 148 runs for the unbroken first wicket that not only trimmed a 220-run first innings deficit to 72 with all wickets still standing but also gave the Tigers hopes of at least avoiding an innings defeat.
At stumps Tamim was on 72, his second successive half-century, and Zunaed on 69 after centuries by Matthew Bell and Jacob Oram took the hosts to a commanding 357.
Interesting it is that the efforts of the two young guns not only surpassed the collective first innings total, which was a mere 137, but also broke the previous first wicket best of 133 by Tamim's elder brother Nafis Iqbal and Javed Omar Belim. Besides, their individual efforts were also the highest by any Bangladesh pair against New Zealand and the highest partnership of this Test.
Tamim and Zunaed showed there was plenty of fight in the Bangladesh camp after an inspired spell of pace spearhead Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (4-74) saw Bangladesh bowl a side out for the first time in seven Tests.
If Tamim and Zunaed were under pressure in their first Test, they rarely showed. Their association didn't start pretty -- Tamim was dropped by Iain O'Brien and a slog off Daniel Vettori was misjudged by Chris Martin in the deep -- but the openers fought through a testing passage against a moving new ball. Initially eager to manufacture runs, they wisely settled down to press for time. But that didn't mean the scoring rate reduced. Ticking along at around five runs an over, Zunaed played some convincing drives down the ground while Tamim, happier to get onto the back foot, hooked and pulled fours. The team's fifty was on the board in the 11th over.
The two played on New Zealand's mind. Anything full was driven firmly by Zunaed, prompting the seamers to hold back the length, at which time Tamim flashed hard and picked the gaps, more often than not. Zunaed got to fifty first, thumping O'Brien for four, and his maiden effort was well appreciated by a raucous dressing room. Tamim slogged Vettori to bring up the team 100 in the 20th over and soon celebrated his second fifty of the match, driving the Kiwi skipper against the spin for four. While Vettori struggled to locate his angle Tamim put him away through cover-point.
Earlier, Bell and Oram had featured in a 139-run partnership for New Zealand but received little support on a wicket which did not appear to hold any demons for the batsmen.
When Bell, who made 107, and Jacob Oram, 117, were in full flight, New Zealand appeared on track for a lead well in excess of 300.
Bell, on his return to the national fold after being unwanted for the past six years, weathered a shaky period in the 90s and survived a confident leg before wicket appeal on 97 before scoring his second Test hundred.
Ten runs later he was out lbw to Mashrafe.
Oram reached his fourth Test century three balls after lunch with his 16th boundary before he was bowled by Mortaza.
Kyle Mills was caught behind first ball leaving O'Brien to thwart the hattrick before he was last out for five.
The introduction of the second new ball saw the last four New Zealand wickets tumble for just 37 runs.
For Bangladesh, paceman Mashrafe had the best bowling figures with four for 74 off 23 overs.
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