Bangladesh were left ruing the lack of favourable wicket after they toiled on day one of the first Test against New Zealand in Chittagong on Wednesday.
The Tigers claimed just two wickets in the first two sessions before three late wickets in the final hour of the day’s play brought them to some level of parity.Until the final hour, the visitors showed no sign of susceptibility to spin, which has been their traditional weak point and has often brought their downfall, especially in the subcontinent.
Bangladesh were hoping to exploit that weakness and loaded their squad with three spinners. The curator of the ground also gave them some hope, saying that the newly-laid wicket would turn as much as they wanted.
However, the Tigers were surprised by a pitch which lacked any turn that could deceive the New Zealand batsman. Instead, it turned out be like any other subcontinent pitch – a low and slow one, for which New Zealand appeared well-prepared.
‘We knew two years ago that New Zealand would be coming during this period. Naturally we expected a turning pitch,’ said batsman Nasir Hossain.
‘But it was not the kind of pitch we would have liked. If it was a spinning track, maybe we would have batted today after having them all out.’
Nasir provided the Tigers with a vital breakthrough in the second session when he outfoxed Peter Fulton, who offered a catch to substitute fielder Naeem Islam at cover on 78, in his very first over.
The wicket, which came in the penultimate over of the second session, ended a 126-run second-wicket stand between Fulton and Kane Williamson that threatened to spoil the day for the Tigers.
Williamson, arguably New Zealand’s best batsman against spin, went on to score a century without facing any serious trouble before Sakib al Hasan finally produced some turn in the second-last over of the day and trapped him lbw for 114.
Similar turn earned Razzak his second wicket in the very next over, and stumps were drawn with the two teams on par as New Zealand ended the day on 280-5.
‘We took three wickets in the last one hour, so this was a good comeback,’ said Nasir. ‘I would say the game is still in our hand and we are now in a very good position.
‘May be they want to score 400 runs. Our aim will be to take their remaining five wickets as quickly as possible.
‘Hopefully [on Thursday] the wicket will remain as turning as it was in the last half-an-hour,’ he said.
Nasir believes that batting in the second innings will be extremely tough on this wicket, which started wearing after the opening day’s play and with the ball keeping lower after every passing hour.
‘It’s a new wicket and we are playing here for the first time,’ said Nasir, ‘So you cannot really predict how the wicket will behave.
‘It seems it is wearing gradually. In that case it will start providing turn. I guess batting will be really difficult here in the second innings.’
-With New Age input
