Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam (3rd from L) pumps his fists as his teammates join him in celebration of a New Zealand dismissal during the fourth day of the first Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium yesterday. PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED
Bangladesh have New Zealand on the ropes heading into the fifth and final day of the first Test as the Tigers require just three more wickets to register their maiden home Test win over the Kiwis at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.
Taijul Islam was Bangladesh’s star performer of the day with four wickets while Shoriful Islam, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan struck once each to reduce New Zealand to 113 for seven, chasing 332.
The visitors’ hope of scoring the remaining 219 runs to pull off an improbable victory now hinges on Daryl Mitchell, batting on 44 alongside Ish Sodhi (not out on seven).
Bangladesh, however, have defeated New Zealand in the red-ball format once before, that too away from home, in the Mount Maunganui Test in 2022.
That match was also a part of the ICC World Test Championship’s (WTC) second cycle and it remains Bangladesh’s lone victory in the competition.
Now, the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side have a chance to register Bangladesh’s second Test win over New Zealand and start their campaign in the third cycle of the Test Championship with a victory.
Bangladesh resumed the day on 212 for three, leading by 205 runs, with skipper Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim batting on 104 and 43, respectively.
Shanto, who had registered his fifth Test ton the previous day, got caught behind off Tim Southee after adding just one run to his overnight score.
Mushfiqur completed his 26th Test fifty before getting out leg-before for 67 by left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz then hit an unbeaten half-century and formed some small but useful stands with the tailenders to help the Tigers post a target in excess of 300 before getting bundled out soon after Lunch.
Left-arm spinner Patel was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand with four wickets while leg-spinner Ish Sodhi took a couple.
New Zealand were under pressure from the very onset of their chase, courtesy of Shoriful, who removed Tom Latham for a duck in the first over.
Taijul, who claimed four wickets in the first innings, then got into the act by removing Kane Williamson for the second time in the match, trapping the right-hander in front for 11 this time.
The 31-year-old, spearheading the spin attack in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, went on to pick the wickets of Devon Conway (22), Tom Blundell (six) and Kyle Jamieson (nine), all the while keeping a tight leash on the run-scoring.
His fellow spinners, Miraz and Nayeem, also kept things tight as the visitors kept losing wickets in regular intervals. The inaugural WTC winners are now on the brink of tasting a Test defeat against the Tigers for the second time in two years.
