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In the second Test in Dhaka, Bangladesh will be aiming
for yet another all-around effort to help them win the series against New
Zealand for the first time ever. In Sylhet, they defeated the visitors by 150
runs, and although individual efforts from Taijul Islam and Najmul Hossain
Shanto were noteworthy, the victory felt like a team effort.
They bowled and batted in pairs, with Mehidy Hasan
Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim providing vital half-centuries to support Shanto’s
hundred runs in the third innings, and Mehidy and Nayeem Hasan supporting
Taijul’s efforts with the ball.
Not only will New Zealand be desperate to win the
World Test Championship, but they will also be itching to respond forcefully.
They’ll hope to maintain their unbeaten record in Test series played in
Bangladesh. Having lost two of their last three Test matches against these
opponents, they’ll also want to leave a lasting impression.
In order to achieve their intended turnaround, New
Zealand needs to get better in Dhaka in a few crucial areas. Their captain, Tim
Southee, thought that his bowlers needed to be more consistent after the first
Test loss because they were not “apply[ing] pressure for a long period of
time” like their Bangladeshi counterparts were.
Kane Williamson, who scored one of just two 50-plus scores by a New Zealand
batter in the opening Test, will need more top-order support from the bat. They
will want to play their sweep strokes more skillfully on a surface like the one
at Shere Bangla National Stadium, where they can anticipate more irregular
bounce than in Sylhet. Both Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls, who typically play
the shot effectively, were out of position on this one, caught at short fine
leg.
Taijul and Mehidy will be returning to a place they
enjoy bowling for Bangladesh. Since he typically only plays home Tests, Nayeem
will be looking for wickets as well. With Bangladesh expected to play a lot of
Test cricket in the upcoming year, he will also want to push for more
consistent selection. Bangladesh will want to maintain the high standards in
Dhaka after their amazing close catching in Sylhet. In addition, they will be
hoping for huge scores from Mominul Haque, who looked excellent while scoring
37 and 40, and runs from Zakir Hasan and Nurul Hasan, who were not included in
the Sylhet innings.