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On the opening day of the Sylhet Test, New Zealand’s
unexpected hero with the ball was Glenn Phillips, who restricted Bangladesh to
310 for 9. Middle-order batsman and occasional off-spinner Phillips concluded
the day with 4 for 53 as New Zealand orchestrated a batting collapse that began
at the close of the second session. Phillips has only taken two Tests, and this
is the first time he has been handed a bowl.
Bangladesh were 180 for 2 at that stage in the 53rd
over, with Mominul Haque and Mahmudul Hasan Joy batting solidly in the middle.
Bangladesh lost momentum as soon as Phillips removed Mominul and Ish Sodhi
removed Joy’s wicket. Tim Southee, the captain of New Zealand, didn’t sit back
and wait for things to happen, though. He used Ajaz Patel as the third spinner
in his rotation, but he frequently left one quick bowler on the pitch.
Joy scored the most runs of any hitter from Bangladesh
that day, 86 from 166 balls with 11 fours. Joy’s most appealing shot is his
cover drive, which involves the batter elegantly bending into the short. He hit
seven of his boundaries at various angles between extracover and cover.
Hossain Najmul In a 53-run partnership for the second
wicket with Joy, Shanto, the series captain, increased the scoring pace with
three sixes and two fours. However, he then lofted Phillips into the air, only
for Kane Williamson to make a diving catch at mid-on. Shanto seemed to have
wasted a good start with his 37 from 35 balls, especially considering how he
had dominated the New Zealand spinners by smashing the ball hard down the
ground.
After that, there were pockets of resistance, but
Shahadat Hossain, making his debut, hit three fours in his 54-ball stay before
chipping one to Henry Nicholls at midwicket to give Phillips his third wicket.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz got into a tangle – play or duck? – against Kyle Jamieson’s
short ball and was caught at slip.
Nurul Hasan, who was caught down the leg side for 29,
was Phillips’ fourth wicket of the day. Nayeem Hasan then edged Jamieson’s wide
delivery to second slip.
For the day, Taijul Islam and No. 11 Shoriful Islam
batted out the final 3.1 overs, thus Phillips did not have a fifth wicket.