BSS, Dhaka :
New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner admitted that Bangladesh left them in cornered position by batting and bowling sensibly over the last two days of the first Test.
He particularly praised Bangladeshi batters performance, saying that they didn’t give them too many opportunities in the passage of second day’s game.
Bangladesh ended the second day on 175-2, still trailing by 153 runs after New Zealand were bowled out for 328 in the first innings. Young opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy was batting on 70 with captain Mominul Haque on 8. Najmul Hossain Shanto was the other notable scorer with 64 and added 104 runs with Joy for the second wicket.
“The younger guys today played phenomenally. I thought they played patiently. They didn’t really give too many opportunities. They hung in there. They were prepared to dig in. They left the ball quite a lot. It made us ask more questions, and take wickets. It gave them the opportunity to score. I thought that they played really well. Full credit to them.I thought when the ball was there to be scored, they scored. They also left well and defended well,” Wagner said of Bangladeshi batters.
When almost all of the teams around the world generally found New Zealand conditions tougher, Wagner said Bangladesh are always a tough opponent in this condition.
“Bangladesh have been pretty tough opponents whenever they have come here. They have always played well in our conditions. Specially Shakib plays a different brand of cricket. They come out quite aggressively, play a few more shots. It creates an opportunity for us to take wickets, as well. They are quality players and have been around for quite some time,” he said. Even though Bangladesh are on top now, Wagner believed they still have the chance to claw back into the game.
“They played really well. They showed a lot of patience. They showed a bit of fight. It is a tough graft out there. It is just a good days’ hard and tough Test cricket,” he said.
