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New Zealand and Bangladesh will lock horns in the second game of the two-match Test series to be played from Sunday, January 9 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
The Tigers, led by Mominul Haque Showrab, have punched above their weight in the ongoing series thus far. The visitors defeated the Black Caps by eight wickets in the opening Test at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui to take a crucial 1-0 lead in the series.
After nine losses in Tests on New Zealand soil, Bangladesh finally rose to the occasion and are in with a chance of winning the series. Ebadot Hossain’s six-wicket haul in the second innings ripped the heart out of the Black Caps. The pacer, rightfully, got the Player of the Match award.
Liton Das, yet another time, showed his prowess in the longest format of the game. The Dinajpur-born Das and skipper Showrab missed out on Test tons, but their knocks of 86 and 88 respectively helped Bangladesh amass a massive lead of 130 runs in their first innings.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudul Hasan Joy also played handy knocks in the first innings to push the Kiwis on the backfoot. But the Tigers won’t be having the services of Joy, who has been ruled out due to a finger injury. Joy didn’t bat in Bangladesh’s run-chase.
Mohammad Naim, who has played a significant number of T20Is for the Tigers, may end up getting a Test cap.
New Zealand, on the other hand, must have gone back to the drawing board after the unexpected loss. The hosts will have to secure a win to evade a series defeat.
Their batters looked a tad out of sorts when fast bowler Ebadot ran riot in the second innings. The fact that they lost nine wickets for 109 runs would concern the Kiwis.
But the Kiwis can draw heart from the fact that they have won six out of eight Tests in Christchurch. The only time they lost at the Hagley Oval was against Pakistan back in 2016.
Can Bangladesh beat New Zealand?
Prior to the series, the Black Caps were the clear favorites to win the series. But now with Bangladesh winning the first game, it’s pretty much even stevens.
The Tigers are expected to strain every sinew to win back-to-back Tests. The Black Caps may not make things easy for them either. It won’t be a surprise if the next match ends in a draw.
Prediction: The match to end in a draw.
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