Bangladesh are in the driving seat against New Zealand three days into the Sylhet Test, with a 205-run advantage, two set batters in the middle, and seven wickets in hand – an uncommon scenario in red-ball cricket for the Tigers.
The Tigers have a good platform to set a difficult total for the visitors, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto undefeated on 104 and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim batting on 43.
However, in order for that to happen, Bangladesh must avoid the one thing they have been guilty of doing throughout this Test: squandering opportunities to seize control of the game.
The Tigers were 180-2 at one point in their first innings, appearing on their way to a dominant first innings total.
The momentum of the innings turned as Bangladesh lost set hitters Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul in consecutive overs, and they were eventually bundled out for 310.
This pattern continued in their bowling innings, as they dropped Kane Williamson twice, who went on to smash a tonne, and also gave 52 runs for the final two wickets, costing them a tiny first innings lead.
Shanto’s captain’s knock, which included a 90-run stand with Mominul and an undefeated 96-run combination with Mushfiqur, helped the hosts regain control before the close of the third day.
However, given how well the surface at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium held up yesterday, their work is far from done.
Bangladesh must now score as many runs as possible while also batting well into the fourth day in the belief that the pitch will eventually deteriorate, allowing their three-spin attack to enter the match.
“I believe the wicket is still suitable for batting.” It’s impossible for me to estimate; it [safe total] may be 400 or 350. Everything is dependent on what occurs tomorrow [today]. “The pitch may behave differently on the fourth day,” Mominul stated at yesterday’s post-day press conference in Sylhet.
The visitors, on the other hand, are trying to duplicate the previous innings and bundle out Bangladesh for a manageable goal.
“So, if we get a couple early tomorrow [today], we kind of show that we can take wickets in clunks through the first innings and knock over the lower order pretty cheaply.” So, if we grab a couple early, we’ll set a reasonable total for our guys to follow,” Kiwi pacer Kyle Jamieson explained.