New Zealand v Bangladesh, 2nd Test Day 4: 5 Talking Points

It was Tom Latham and Colin de Grandhomme who ensured that New Zealand did not indeed have to bat another day as they chased down the feeble target set aside by Bangladesh. As for the latter, they simply could not ensure preventing a second innings collapse as they went ahead and lost their way and capitulated, losing all their wickets to the impressive New Zealand pace attack. Only a handful of batsmen managed to move into the 20’s and 30’s as the post-lunch session was simply a horror show as far as Bangladesh was concerned.

With hardly 20 overs left in the day’s play. Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, and the explosive Colin de Grandhomme were the ones left to complete the match with Grandhomme smashing four sixes to ensure that the Kiwis did not have to come back the following day to complete the match. While there were a plethora of talking points on the day, here are a few most prominent of the few.

1. Wagner and Southee ensure that Kiwis cross 300-run mark

After having the entire previous day washed out due to rain, it was important that the Kiwis had a first innings lead at the very least if not the win. However, the fact of the matter remained that the win was also something that Kiwis were looking at in terms of their ranking as well. However, it was Neil Wagner and Tim Southee who went ahead and ensured that this was certainly the case as they went ahead and stitched an impressive partnership, something that saw the Kiwis go ahead and cement their place in a winning position.

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2. Sarkar and Mahmudullah play the waiting game

Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah were perhaps the only Bangladesh batsmen rather interested in building a partnership of sorts given the fact that they had shown some solidity in the first innings as well. The wicket of Tamim Iqbal, while unsettling also ensured that they were on the way to ensure that the Bangladeshis would not suffer yet another collapse, to say the least. Sarkar and Mahmudullah went ahead and smashed 36 and 38 respectively before the quintessential collapse began.

3. New Zealand bowlers rattle Bangladesh batsmen

The New Zealand bowlers went ahead and began smashing the wickets of the Bangladeshi batsmen at will. This began after the dismissal of Soumya Sarkar in the 20^th over of the innings. Once again, Mitchell Santner was not required to have a bowl as the pacers were once again all over the visitors. At 3/73, one would have fancied Bangladesh to pull off a draw at the very least. However, it was the amazing trio of Wagner, Boult, and Southee who went ahead and ensured that the Kiwis shot out the visitors for a paltry 173 in just 53 odd overs.

4. Kamrul and Taskin add brief resistance

Kamrul Islam and Taskin Ahmed went ahead and began to showcase their batting acumen towards the close of the innings with a small partnership that lasted 51 runs. While this was frustrating the Kiwis a bit, Taskin proved that he sure indeed could strike the ball quite a distance as well. Taskin helped himself to 33 while Kamrul smashed an impressive 25 as the collapse was halted before it was Taskin Ahmed’s defenses that were well and truly breached by Trent Boult.

5. Kiwis chase down feeble target, claim win

With just the 20 odd overs to play and 108 runs to win, it was clear that the Kiwis had to pull out the bunny from the hat if they wanted to win. This also saw the possibility of a win on the evening stem a bit when Jeet Raval and Tom Latham, two of the most conservative openers take the field on the day. While Latham was able to smash the ball for a bevy of boundaries and a six, it was the promotion of Colin de Grandhomme up the order to ensure that a win in the evening was possible. Racing against time, Grandhomme smashed the ball for four massive sixes as the target was reached in 18 odd overs.