Mohammad Ashraful’s two misses – one to run Jacob Oram out and other to get Flynn caught, are going to hurt every Bangladesh supporter as the end provided more than little drama. Irony is the winning run was also scored from a miss-field! Earlier Bangladesh paid the price of being over defensive as usual. Daniel Vettori fell with 17 runs to go, later on KIwis lost two more wickets before grabbing the win.
Earlier, a captain’s innings from Daniel Vettori on a riveting final day in Chittagong left New Zealand at tea needing 36 runs for a famous win. The ghosts of Multan and Fatullah will be in Bangladesh minds as their hunt for a first win against major opposition looks set to be prolonged.
Brendon McCullum was harshly adjudged lbw soon after lunch but Vettori and Daniel Flynn kept Bangladesh’s spinners at bay with a 65-run stand. It was slow going for the New Zealand batsmen, with most of the runs coming in singles, either nudges to square leg or dab towards point. If New Zealand manage to pull off the victory, it’ll be the second-highest total they’d have chased down in Tests.
The dismissals of Aaron Redmond and Ross Taylor in the morning session of the fifth day have ensured the first Test in Chittagong remains in the balance at lunch. The visitors went to the break at four for 212, still needing 105 more runs to take first blood in the two-match series.
Daniel Vettori, who came in as nightwatchman yesterday, and Aaron Redmond took guard this morning with New Zealand well placed at 145 for 2, needing 317 for a victory that looked unlikely after the third day. Vettori and Redmond looked untroubled for the first hour. They were helped by a defensive field that seemed surprising for a team needing to take wickets to have any chance of victory.
This was most evident when Redmond gloved a short ball from Shahadat Hossain through the vacant slip field. Singles were easy to come by because of the lack of attacking fielders. This took the pressure off the batsmen.
Just as the New Zealanders looked set, Redmond edged a ball from Shakib Al Hasan to Junaid Siddique at first slip. He had looked comfortable all morning, stroking some elegant drives through the field. His 79 included 10 boundaries and was scored off 237 deliveries.
Ross Taylor joined Vettori at 185 for 3 and also looked uncomfortable. But as he has done at times in the past, he lost concentration when he tried to deposit a ball over the offside field off the back foot. He spooned the ball to point where a simple catch was taken. He became the first New Zealand batsman to fall to a fast bowler in the match, giving Mashrafe Mortaza a deserved wicket.
Vettori was unbeaten at the lunch break on 36. He was as solid at the crease as he was during his unbeaten 55 in the first innings. He will be joined at the crease by Brendon McCullum when play resumes. With two sessions remaining in the match, it could still go either way.
But the scene changed later on and inexperience showed in Bangladesh attitude in crunch situation. Finally, New Zealand won the match by three wickets.
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