Bangladesh are still searching for their first win on a disastrous tour of New Zealand, but this will be their final chance as the sides head to Hagley Oval in Christchurch for the second Test. Join The Roar for live scores of Day 1 from 9am (AEDT).
After not even looking likely to compete in the six limited-overs fixtures, Bangladesh finally showed something during the first Test as they were put into bat and made Kane Williamson’s decision look like one of the worst in recent memory.
Batting with a mix of aggression and control, the tourists racked up a massive 585 in a rain-interrupted first innings, dragging it into Day 3, putting themselves in what seemed like a position where they couldn’t lose from.
A draw was looking like the run-away favourite though when the Kiwis batted and made another 539, batting for five sessions and leaving themselves just 117 overs to try and force a result in the match.
What happened next was the stuff of dreams for New Zealand as they knocked the tourists over for a pathetic 160, setting up a run chase of just 217 in 58 overs – something that looked like it would be done easily.
New Zealand barely needed three-quarters of the time they had to chase down the score, getting there in just 39.4 overe three wickets down as Kane Williamson smoked 104 not out from just 90 balls.
In the first match, it was undoubtedly the class of New Zealand’s bowlers which got them over the line, with Trent Boult leading the way in the second innings with three wickets to rip a whole in the Tigers batting attack.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, it’s been the same problem across all formats of the game – they haven’t been able to score enough runs in the middle order and with the exception of that first innings, it hasn’t let up.
If they can’t get it right this time, there is no way they are expected to field quite as well as they did in the first Test so things could get very ugly here, given the class of Williamson and the rest of the New Zealand batting order.
Prediction
New Zealand survived a scare in the first match, but Bangladesh by this point will be already on the plane going home.
It’s been a long and extremely difficult tour for the Tigers, and while they will fight during this match it will be nowhere the level required.
New Zealand should take a pretty comfortable victory.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of the second Test in Christchurch from 9am (AEDT) and don’t forget to add your own comments below.
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