New Zealand vs Bangladesh, 1st Test, Day 2 preview: New Zealand in command after Wagner five-for

How the day went

Tamim Iqbal scored a much-needed century, but Neil Wagner’s five-for – his first in Test cricket – meant New Zealand bundled out the visitors for just 234 in Hamilton on Thursday.

New Zealand then coasted to 86/0, trailing by 148 runs, by stumps at Seddon Park to leave Bangladesh staring at the possibility of conceding a huge deficit in the first innings.

Pace and movement were initially expected to nullify the Bangladesh batsmen, but it was a short-ball barrage that eventually did for them. Wagner executed that tactic smartly to return a fine 5/47.

Wagner has always been a bowler for the grind – he seals up one end with workman-like effort while the likes of Tim Southee and Trent Boult reap rewards at the other end. Here, he claimed the lime light.

Put in to bat, Bangladesh started well, with Tamim Iqbal and Shadman Islam putting on a solid 57 for the opening wicket, and Mominul Haque then joined Iqbal in the middle to add a further 64 for the second wicket.

It seemed the visitors had done their first bit right – avoid early wickets and put on partnerships to bolster the total – but that was as good as it got for Bangladesh. Boult had Islam dismissed for a 32-ball 24 and Haque (12 off 46) became Wagner’s first victim, nicking behind attempting to put a short ball away.

The wicket triggered a collapse, and Wagner added Mohammad Mithun (8), Mahmudullah (22), Liton Das (29) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (10) to his list of victims. From 121/1, Bangladesh was first reduced to 149/4 and then, when Iqbal’s sole defiance was ended for a 128-ball 126, things got even worse.

From 180/5, they were bundled out for 234 in 59.2 overs, the middle and lower order just unable to grind it out and add the runs.

In the final session, Jeet Raval and Tom Latham capitalised. Raval scored a fairly quick 89-ball 51*, Latham – dropped by Soumya Sarkar for nought – a more cautious 79-ball 35, and New Zealand ended the day just 148 short of Bangladesh’s total.

What to expect on Day 2

This already looks like a difficult situation for Bangladesh to recover from.

Their batsmen’s struggle isn’t entirely a surprise – it’s been a feature throughout their tour of New Zealand. However, Tamim Iqbal’s valiant knock, and time return to form, has given their bowlers something resembling a platform to build on.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, none of their bowlers stood out on the first day – that they used as many as five bowlers within a session is testament to that. The paceman, obviously, hold the key at this venue.

Bangladesh will look to Abu Jayed and Khaled Ahmed to light the way. They would do well to follow the tactic the New Zealand bowlers, particularly Wagner, did, in that they should try something different if the going gets tough.

It’s a well-grassed surface, and the pacemen are likely to have purchase. But even if the home batsmen deal with that, take a leaf out of Wagner’s book and attempt another tactic.

Brief scores: New Zealand86/0 (Jeet Raval 51*, Tom Latham 35*) trail Bangladesh 234 (Tamim 126, Wagner 5-47) by 148 runs