Saturday, October 18, 2025

‘Result still possible’

The second Test match between Bangladesh and New Zealand could still have a result if the next three days are not interrupted by rain, said all-rounder Sakib al Hasan on Tuesday.
The decider of the two-match Test series was again deprived of a full day’s play after rain halted the second day at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium with New Zealand struggling at 107-3 after restricting the hosts to 282 runs.
‘I feel that if there are three days of play there will be a result in this match,’ Sakib said at the press briefing after play was stopped 26 minutes before the scheduled tea-break and eventually called off.
‘The way the match is progressing suggests that there will be a result. It is difficult to say who will come out as the winner as both the teams have one innings left and [New Zealand’s] half-innings is still left,’ said Sakib.
‘The wicket will get more difficult with each passing day. As the curator suggested, and what I have learnt, there will be even bigger turn from day three.
‘If that happens it would be difficult for both the teams to score runs, the game will also have a fast progression and there is a possibility of a result,’ he said.
However, Sakib was not yet sure whether the spinners could extract any advantage from the wicket as only two days of the Test match had been completed.
‘It is very difficult to tell anything regarding the wicket because we have only completed day two. Even if it is a spinning track, normally it starts helping the spinners from the last session of day three.’
’Everyday there was rain and we even had rain yesterday, but that did not hamper anything, like the ball getting wet or things of that sort. If there is no rain tomorrow there won’t be any problem,’ he added.
Sakib emphasised the importance of picking up the wickets of the two batsmen remaining at the crease early as he believes that they have the ability to change the course of the game.
Vice-captain Kane Williamson was on 28 runs and the experienced Ross Taylor on 37 when the game was called off by the umpires after incessant rain hit the ground just 33.3 overs into the New Zealand innings.
‘We need to pick up the two wickets at the crease now because they are the most important,’ said Sakib.
‘Even after that there will be other batsmen, but these two wickets are vital, more so because one of them is the vice-captain, while the other one is a senior player.’
‘If we can pick up two wickets everything is possible. Even bundling them out under 200 is possible.’
‘Realistically speaking, if we can restrict them to 300, which I feel is possible, we will have an even match,’ he added.
Sakib defended his batsmen despite failing to contribute heavily after the hosts lost their last five wickets in the first session on Tuesday, adding only 54 runs to their overnight score of 228-5.
‘There were not too many batsmen. There were only Nasir [Hossain] and Mushfiqur [Rahim], and after [Mushfiq] got out Nasir followed him soon. The lower order was exposed so we could not score a lot of runs,’ said Sakib.
‘From the outside I don’t think there was much of a problem. I think on this wicket 300 or 350 is a very good score.’
‘I don’t think there was a drastic change in the wicket. As I said, we only had two batsmen. They have lost two wickets themselves [New Zealand are actually three wickets down] and the session was also long, probably two and a half hours,’ he added.
Sakib was happy with his own bowling but denied that he was relieved to have picked up three wickets and said that the team needs to contribute as a whole if Bangladesh aim to win the Test match.
‘It didn’t occur to me that I would be relieved if I picked up wickets and wouldn’t be relieved if I didn’t pick up wickets. I am happy because I was performing well,’ he said.
‘But it is important that everyone on the team contributes. It is very important. If [Sohag] Gazi and [Abdur] Razzak bhai, or even the pace bowlers, can pick up one or two early wickets it would be a plus point,’ he added.
Sakib’s three-wicket haul makes him Bangladesh’s most successful Test bowler at home, leapfrogging Mohammad Rafique’s 66 wickets. Sakib took his total to 68 wickets when he dismissed New Zealand captain Brendan McCullum for his third wicket.

-With New Age input

Related News

Afghanistan dominates Bangladesh in ODI series victory

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Afghanistan clinched the ODI series with a crushing 81-run win over Bangladesh in the second of the three-match series and take an unassailable 2-0 lead at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Bangladesh were folded for 109 runs in 28.3 overs—their lowest against the Afghans in an ODI ... Read more

BCB board shake-up: Rubaba Dowla takes a seat

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Corporate leader and sports organizer Rubaba Dowla has officially joined the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), stepping in for Isfak Ahsan, whose nomination was quietly pulled just hours after yesterday’s board election. The NSC has pulled back his nomination due to claims about his connections with the ousted Awami League government. As ... Read more

BCB elects Aminul as president, Faruque and Shakhawat vice-presidents

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Aminul Islam has been re-elected as the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board following the board of directors’ elections that took place at a city hotel in Dhaka on Monday. Faruque Ahmed, a former board president himself, along with Shakhawat Hossain, has been chosen as the new vice-presidents. Aminul, Faruque, and ... Read more

Bangladesh dominates Afghanistan with strong victory in final T20I

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh wrapped up a clean sweep against Afghanistan with an impressive six-wicket victory in the third and final T20 International at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, clinching the series 3–0 in style. Chasing a target of 144, Bangladesh made it look easy, finishing the game with two overs to spare. Saif ... Read more

Bangladesh secures T20I series victory against Afghanistan

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh has taken a strong 2-0 lead in the three-match series after pulling off an exciting two-wicket win against Afghanistan in the second T20I at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. Afghanistan set a target of 147 runs, losing 5 wickets in their 20 overs. Nasum Ahmed (2-25) and Rishad Hossain (2-45) ... Read more

ICC Women’s World Cup: Tigresses starts strong

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh began their ICC Women’s World Cup in style with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday. Opting to bat first, Pakistan were bowled out for 129 in 38.3 overs. Bangladesh then reached 131-3 in 31.1 overs, thanks to an unbeaten knock of ... Read more

Aminul, Fahim set to be elected unopposed

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com It looks like Aminul Islam Bulbul, the current president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and vice-president Nazmul Abedeen Fahim are on track to be elected without any opposition in the upcoming board of directors’ election. This comes after the Election Commission rejected three nomination papers on Monday. On Monday, the Election ... Read more

BCB Polls: Razzak set for uncontested win

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Abdur Razzak, the former national team off-spinner and selector, is poised to be elected as a BCB director without any opposition in the upcoming elections, as reported by the Election Commission on Sunday. On Sunday, a total of 51 nomination papers were submitted, from the 60 that had been collected the ... Read more

Liton’s injury sidelines him from Afghan T20I series

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Sunday the national team for the upcoming three-match T20 International series against Afghanistan, set to take place in Sharjah, UAE on October 2, 3, and 5. Jaker Ali Anik will continue to captain the team in the absence of regular skipper Liton Das, who is ... Read more

Razzak steps down as selector, joins BCB election run

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Former Bangladesh left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak has stepped down from his role on the national selection panel after more than four years of dedicated service. He aims to contribute to the country’s cricket in a more impactful way. Razzak, who joined the selection panel in January 2021, confirmed his decision yesterday ... Read more

Batting failures keep Bangladesh out of Asia Cup final

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh’s hopes of making it to the Asia Cup final were dashed by a poor batting display, as they lost to Pakistan by 11 runs in their final Super Four match at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. In this virtual semi-final, Bangladesh needed to chase down a target of 136 ... Read more

Umpiring legend Dickie Bird dies aged 92

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The cricket world is mourning the news that one of the most popular and famous figures in the sport, Harold “Dickie” Bird, has passed away in his home, aged 92. Former first-class English cricketer Bird officiated his first test match in 1973, and went on to umpire 66 tests and 76 ... Read more

Bangladesh fixtures for ICC Women’s World Cup 2025

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh women’s cricket team will embark on their second-ever ICC Women’s World Cup journey as they depart for Colombo on Tuesday. After making their debut in 2022 in New Zealand, where they recorded a historic maiden victory against Pakistan, the Tigresses will be eager to build on that experience. The 2025 ... Read more

Bangladesh triumphs over Sri Lanka in Asia Cup Super Four Clash

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh opened their Super Four campaign in the Asia Cup with a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Chasing 169, Bangladesh reached the target with one ball remaining, thanks to strong batting performances from Saif Hassan and Tawhid Hridoy. Sri Lanka, asked to bat ... Read more

Hasibul and Salma join BCB selection panel

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Saturday appointed former national team pacer Hasibul Hossain Shanto as a men’s team selector and former women’s team captain Salma Khatun as a women’s selector. With the appointment, Salma became the first woman cricketer of the country to take such a role, which was remarked as ... Read more

BCB’s move to appoint first ever female selector for national women’s team

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Cricket Board is set to appoint a woman selector for the national women’s team, stated board president Aminul Islam Bulbul on Friday. Currently the national selection panel for the men’s team comprises former captain Gazi Ashraf Hossain as the chairman and Abdur Razzak as the member. Hannan Sarkar stepped ... Read more

Bulbul acknowledges Tigresses’ World Cup readiness not ideal

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam believes that the preparation of the Bangladesh national women’s cricket team for the forthcoming ICC Women’s World Cup was not up to the mark. The Nigar Sultana Joty-led team is currently in a camp at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur before going to the ... Read more

Mushfiq on the verge of reaching 100 Test appearances

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh’s talented wicketkeeper-batter, is on the verge of making history as the first Bangladeshi cricketer to reach 100 Test appearances. This milestone is within reach following Cricket Ireland’s decision to take part in a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting on November 10. Ireland will tour Bangladesh between November ... Read more

Tigers leave for Dubai

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh cricket team left for Dubai in the early hours of Friday for the Champions Trophy, which begins in Pakistan and the UAE from February 19. Najmul Hossain Shanto-led Bangladesh team will play a warm-up match against the Mohammad Haris-led Pakistan Shaheens at the ICC Cricket Academy ground in Dubai on ... Read more

Simmons discusses Champions Trophy preparation Issues

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons acknowledged that the team’s preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy has not been ideal, but he remains hopeful that his players will quickly regain their ODI form before the tournament starts. “I agree that it is not the best preparation. However, they have been playing white-ball ... Read more