2nd Test : Mehidy, Taijul put New Zealand under pressure on day one

Bangladesh spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam put New Zealand under pressure after Bangladesh fold for 172, taking three and two consecutive wickets which forced the blackcaps to finish the day on 55 for five wickets in the second Test at Mirpur on Wednesday.

Spin took 13 out of the 15 wickets that fell on the first day of the Dhaka Test. The Bangladesh spinners gave back what their batters suffered at the hand of the New Zealand spinners as Miraz finished the day with three wickets while Taijul took a couple, to took his wicket tally in Tests to 151.

Mehidy removed Devon Conway when the left-hander left an arm ball from the offspinner. Taijul removed Tom Latham in the next over, caught behind to a delivery that kept low, caught well by wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan. Taijul struck in his next over too, when Henry Nicholls was caught at mid-on by Shoriful Islam.

Mehidy then had two in three balls in the 12th over when Shahadat Hossain took a good catch at short-leg, to remove Kane Williamson. One ball later, Tom Blundell was trapped dead in front of the stumps.

New Zealand ended the day on 55/5 and still trail by 117 runs. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips are unbeaten on 12 and five respectively at stumps.

Earlier, New Zealand’s spin trio had led the way as Bangladesh folded for 172. Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel took eight wickets between them while Tim Southee took the other one that went to the bowlers. Mushfiqur Rahim, meanwhile, was given out obstructing the field, a dismissal that came at a critical moment for the visitors.

The 15 wickets that fell on Wednesday is the most on the first day of a Test in Bangladesh, while the 13 taken by spinners is the joint-highest along with the India-Australia Indore Test earlier this year.