Kane Williamson demonstrated remarkable skill with a resilient century on Wednesday, but even his efforts couldn’t steer New Zealand ahead in the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet. The scoreboard showed 266-8 at the close of the second day’s play, with New Zealand trailing by 44 runs compared to Bangladesh’s first innings. Williamson’s patient knock resulted in 104 runs off 205 balls, marking his 29th Test century that included 11 boundaries, before left-arm spinner Taijul Islam outmaneuvered him to hit the stumps.
Luke Ronchi, the New Zealand coach, lauded Williamson’s consistent top-tier performance on an international scale. “I mean, you just see all around the world, he’s amazing and how he sort of works out different attacks, different sorts of ways people are trying to get him out, different surfaces,” Ronchi observed. His calmness in various situations adds to his awe, according to Ronchi, who believes that such exposure is valuable for the younger players in the team to witness and learn from.
Taijul Islam was the standout among the Bangladesh bowling lineup with remarkable figures of 4-89. Teammates Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Shoriful Islam, and Mominul Haque also contributed by claiming one wicket each. Bangladesh’s spin coach, Rangana Herath expressed contentment with the team’s performance, particularly praising Taijul’s extensive experience, which he believes helped create pressure and generated varied bowling angles.
The New Zealand innings received a significant boost through Glenn Phillips, who added a valuable 42 runs, partnering with Williamson in a critical 78-run sixth-wicket stand. Their partnership was a pivotal point of resistance after a shaky start, which saw the team’s upper half dispatched for a cumulative 175 runs. However, this partnership was cut short as Mominul, the occasional left-arm spinner, enticed Phillips into a catch at slip.
Williamson’s milestone century placed him alongside the likes of cricket legends Don Bradman and Virat Kohli. Despite losing vital wickets, Ronchi indicated confidence in New Zealand’s lower batting order to add valuable runs and bridge the gap to Bangladesh’s total.
An eventful day unfolded as Taijul reclaimed his dropped catch by securing the crucial dismissal of Williamson at 104 and continued his prowess, taking out Ish Sodhi for a duck in subsequent overs. Daryl Mitchell, albeit riding on fortuitous streaks earlier for his 41 runs, was stumped by Nurul Hasan off Taijul’s bowling. An umpiring oversight meant that Bangladesh didn’t opt for a review for an edge from Mitchell, which might have added more to their wickets tally.
New Zealand commenced their bowling innings on an optimal note, bowling out Bangladesh for 310 with Tim Southee removing Shoriful for 13. They started batting rapidly, garnering 10 runs from the first three balls, but Bangladesh’s spinners eventually reined in the pace, gradually establishing control. The highlight from the fielding side was debutant Shahadat Hossain’s exceptional catch to dismiss Conway, an effort that was symbolic of Bangladesh’s fielding sharpness on the day.
The completion of this match will usher in the start of a new cycle in the World Test Championship for both teams, an opportunity for fresh narratives and new champions to emerge. As the Test progresses, both sides would be keen to cement a strong position, setting the foundation for the rest of their campaigns in the prestigious championship.