The return of Mount Maunganui to Sylhet marks a significant historical moment in cricket. While victories against New Zealand in white-ball cricket have been numerous, the triumph at Mount Maunganui stands out as the sole success in the Test format. Despite the Bangladeshi team achieving a clean sweep of the Kiwis on their home turf, the success of Mount Maunganui, both at home and away, holds a special place in Bangladesh's cricket history. The upcoming Test match at the Sylhet International Stadium promises to be a continuation of Mount Maunganui's historic legacy.
New Zealand is seeking a turnaround after their initial setback in the Sylhet Test against Bangladesh, where the former Test Championship titleholders faced a 150-run loss. The Kiwi batsmen struggled against Taijul's impressive performance, marking a challenging start to their campaign. New Zealand had clinched the Test Championship title in the previous edition by defeating India, demonstrating their prowess in the format. However, this time around, their journey commenced with a defeat, and they are determined to reverse their fortunes in the upcoming second Test starting on Wednesday.
The Bangladesh camp faces a setback ahead of the Dhaka Test as offspinner Naeem Hasan sustains an injury during practice. On Tuesday, Naeem was struck on the index finger of his right hand while batting indoors at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, resulting in visible blood. He promptly left the net to receive first aid and refrained from further practice. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board's medical department assures that Naeem's injury is not a cause for concern.
The second day of play in the Bangladesh-New Zealand Dhaka Test was marred by persistent rain, which intensified since noon. Recognizing the bleak prospect of the rain subsiding, match officials took the decision to close proceedings for the day at 1:55 PM. The impact of Cyclone 'Migjaum,' now weakened to a low pressure system, lingered, casting a shadow over the cricketing encounter. The first day had also witnessed the influence of this weather system, with overcast skies and occasional drizzles.
Bangladesh faced a batting disaster in their second innings against New Zealand, following the jubilation of taking five wickets for 46 runs from the Kiwis on the previous day. Despite raising hopes of seizing the lead, New Zealand managed to halt at a lead of 8 runs on the third day, having scored 180 in their first innings, thanks to Glenn Phillips' fifty.
Bangladesh suffered defeat in their own strategy as they tailored spin-friendly wickets, hoping to capitalize on their perceived strength against New Zealand. However, the magic they anticipated from their spinners Ejaz Patel and Mitchell Santner turned against them on the Mirpur pitch. Despite a chance to secure their first Test series win over New Zealand after triumphing in the first test in Sylhet, Bangladesh faced a setback in the second test in Mirpur, losing by 4 wickets.
