New Zealand defeated Bangladesh by four wickets in the second Test at Dhaka’s Shere Bangla National Stadium. The pair of games wrapped up in a tie, each team claiming victory once.
On the opening day of the match, the hosts batted first and were dismissed for 172 in 66.2 overs. The Kiwis’ left-arm orthodox spinners, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel, took three wickets apiece on a pitch that helped change the tide from the opening hour of play.
New Zealand scored 180 in the second innings to take a slim eight-run lead. Glenn Phillips (87) delivered a counter-attacking blow that kept the visitors in the game. In the bowling department, the hosts’ Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam each claimed three wickets.
After being skittled out for 144 in the third innings, Bangladesh was set a goal of 137 runs. In response, New Zealand drew the series after chasing down the score in 39.4 overs on Day 4 (December 9).
Glenn Phillips (40) was the Kiwis’ standout once again, anchoring the pursuit with a mature knock. Mitchell Santner (35) cameoed nicely to back him up.
Here are some X (previously Twitter) comments to Bangladesh’s innings:
New Zealand captain Tim Southee happy with ‘scrappy’ win over Bangladesh in 2nd Test
New Zealand skipper Tim Southee reminisced on a hard-fought victory during the post-match presentation, saying:
“It was a bit of a scrap there and nice to come out on the right side of it. I think the guys trusted the way they played. Phillips and Santner played aggressively and that was different to the plans by other batters. It was only a matter of time before some ball would have your name on that.”
Tim Southee
He added:
“The innings of Glenn Phillips in the first innings kept us in the game. It’s not easy when expectations are there of things happening quickly. The bowlers stuck to their plans and got their reward. It is always nice when you win. Show the fight and put in a performance like this.”
Tim Southee
This was also New Zealand’s first Test victory on Bangladeshi soil in 15 years.