An unbeaten 70 by Mahmudul Hasan Joy, backed by Najman Hossain Shinto’s 64, put Bangladesh in a Strong position at stumps on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand Mount Maunganui on Sunday. Tourists were 175 for two at the end of the game, trailing New Zealand 153 with eight wickets in hand. And the pitch is playing right. It was only the third innings in Tests for 21-year-old Joy, who was dismissed for zero and six in his previous outing against Pakistan last month.
But he played with a lot of maturity in a day that belonged to the tourists, facing 211 balls for an unbeaten 70.
Captain Mominul Haque was on eight at the stumps with him.
New Zealand resumed at 258 for five in the morning and were all out for 328, their lowest total on a home wicket in nine Tests against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh then enjoyed ideal batting conditions as they gave a solid reply.
They survived several early misses on a test of concentration, but what began as a fight for survival gave way to an abundance of free-flowing shots by Shanto and Joy.
He put on 104 for the second wicket, with Shanto hitting a big six over the long leg boundary to make his 50.
He then played an audacious one-day stroke as he stepped away from a short delivery from Neil Wagner, exposed all three stumps, and guided the ball over the close-catching cordon for four.
wagner strike
Wagner proved to be the most dangerous of New Zealand’s bowlers and claimed the wicket of opener Shadman Islam for 22 runs with a diving catch after a low full toss.
He then saw off Shanto with a succession of short deliveries before pitching an outswinger, which the batsman dismissed Will Young in the street.
He hit Shanto to the body with his first ball to the new batsman and, when Joy was on 20, was disappointed to have turned down an LBW appeal.
New Zealand chose not to review and ball-tracking technology indicated that the ball may have hit the stumps.
When Joy was on 42, Wagner got the edge of the bat but the ball fell just below the wicketkeeper.
New Zealand were all out for 328 on the second morning, making a scintillating 139 for one with only Henry Nicholls (75) showing any resistance.
Nicholls, along with Devon Conway (122) and Will Young (52), who were dismissed on the first day, provided New Zealand’s total for all but 79.
Bangladesh spinners did the damage on the second day.
publicized
Mehdi Hasan took three for three in 21 balls, while part-time spinner Mominul removed Nicholls to dismiss Conway, taking his career total to six in 48 Tests.
Among the recognized bowlers, Shorful Islam took 3 for 69 and Mehdi took 3 for 86.
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