Black Caps boss Mike Hesson has pinpointed the dismissal of Bangladeshi talisman Shakib Al Hasan as the turning point in his side's Test win.
Shakib, having scored a stunning 217 in his side's first-innings 595-8 (dec), was removed for a duck when caught by Kane Williamson at mid-on on the fifth day, reports nzcity.co.nz
From there the Tigers collapsed, wasting their last six wickets for 94 runs and giving the Kiwis an opportunity to successfully chase down a 217-run target.
With both sides racking up first-innings totals of well over 500 runs, the Wellington match seemed destined for a draw heading into the final day.
But the removal of Shakib and previous evening's run out of Mehedi Hasan Miraz stoked hopes of an improbable Test victory.
"He's able to score quickly and I think the longer they were going to bat, the tougher the chase would be with run-rate pressure," Hesson said.
"That, and Mitch Santner's runout the night before, just gave us a bit of belief and probably sewed a few seeds of doubt as well."
Despite the rousing victory, the only topic on every Kiwi's lips on Tuesday morning was the short ball-induced concussion of Tigers skipper Mushfiqur Rahim.
Having struck an impressive 159 in the first innings, Mushfiqur received a nasty blow to the back of his head on 13 (not out) from a Tim Southee delivery.
It sent the 28-year-old to hospital with mild concussion.
The Kiwis' aggressive tactics were criticised in some quarters, but Hesson brushed off the suggestion his team were out to intimidate.
The ICC had done plenty to clamp down on bouncers in the wake of Phil Hughes' 2014 death, including limiting their use to twice an over.
Bangladesh had also engaged in plenty of short-pitch deliveries, Hesson said, hitting tail-ender Neil Wagner on the head three times in just 16 balls.
"That's relatively recent and the umpires administer that pretty closely, but also the stem guards they put on the back of helmets," Hesson said.
"When you're challenging a player's back-foot play there are a lot of ways to play it, but everyone's a little different."
He said his side would continue to adhere to the rules in place.
Mushfiqur was quickly released from hospital and may recover in time for the start of the second Test in Christchurch on Friday.
Irrespective of Mushfiqur's presence, Hesson felt the Test would again bring the best out of both outfits.
"We've seen first-hand how good they are, we've been saying that for the whole tour," Hesson said.
"The challenge for any developing nation is to just do it for longer, but Bangladesh certainly put us under pressure."
