By: Sattwik Biswal
BANGLADESH beat New Zealand for the first time in a Test match at the 16th attempt with a stunning eight-wicket victory over the World Test Champions on Wednesday (5), snapping their hosts’ 17-match unbeaten run on home soil.
Seamer Ebadot Hossain took a career best 6 for 46 as the tourists dismissed the Black Caps for 169 early on day five at Mount Maunganui and Bangladesh knocked off the 40 runs for victory for the loss of two wickets.
“It’s unbelievable!” said seamer Taskin Ahmed as a small band of flag-waving Bangladeshis celebrated the triumph on the Bay Oval boundary.
“It was a great achievement for us, our first win out of Asia. We stuck to the process. We gave 110 per cent. It feels great.”
Bangladesh’s first win in any format of the game in New Zealand gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with the second match starting in Christchurch on Sunday.
New Zealand had resumed on 147 for 5 with a slender lead of 17 but were quickly on the back foot when Ebadot clean bowled Ross Taylor for 40 and removed Kyle Jamieson for a duck in his first two overs.
Taskin (3 for 36) chipped in with his second wicket in the fifth over of the morning when he had allrounder Rachin Ravindra caught behind for 16 and the Black Caps were rocking on 160 for 8.
Tim Southee had his middle stump removed in Taskin’s next over and Trent Boult departed for eight when he holed out in the deep to end the innings.
Shadman Islam scored the first runs of the chase but was caught behind for three before his fellow opener Najmul Hossain Shanto departed for 17 with victory in sight.
It was left to skipper Mominul Haque, who scored 13 not out, and the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim, who hit the winning boundary in an unbeaten five, to usher Bangladesh to their historic triumph.
Bangladesh had lost all nine of their previous Tests in New Zealand but were put into a winning position on day four when four of their top six batsmen struck fifties to earn them a first-innings lead of 130.
Man of the Match Ebadot, a former volleyball player who had taken only 11 wickets in his 10 previous Tests, turned the match with a late spell in which he removed three batsmen at the cost of no runs soon after New Zealand had wiped out the deficit.
New Zealand, who were crowned inaugural World Test Champions last year, are without regular skipper Kane Williamson for the series with an elbow injury but were still expected to beat a young Bangladesh side quite comfortably.
“We were not quite there in all three facets,” said stand-in captain Tom Latham.
“Bangladesh showed us how to go about things on that wicket … and they thoroughly deserved the win.”
(Reuters)
