Tim Southee, the captain, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance following the match. The two-match series ended on an even note for New Zealand, as they produced an outstanding performance in the second Test of their series against Bangladesh. At Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the two teams squared off. Despite losing the opening Test in Sylhet, New Zealand entered the match in remarkable form, and they managed to escape a complete sweep at Mirpur.
Despite his praise for his team and their performance, he called the second Test pitch the “worst wicket” he had ever seen in his career. It’s noteworthy that the game lasted just 178.1 overs and that spinners claimed 30 of the 36 wickets that fell throughout it. In addition, Tim Southee said that there was an unequal struggle between the bat and the ball and that the circumstances were quite different from what the Black Caps are used to.
I could say a lot of things about that wicket. I believe that 170 overs to end the contest is a fair representation of the wicket. It wasn’t very good. It didn’t seem like a bat-and-ball match at all.
In the press conference following the game, Tim Southee stated, “It’s probably the worst wicket I’ve ever encountered in my career.”
“I suppose that the circumstances are so different in this area of the world, especially for us, that winning the toss and then emerging victorious on a wicket like that was quite satisfying. Especially in this test match, the conditions are really different from what we’re accustomed to. It’s good to recover from the first test, as I mentioned, and many players have stood up in different ways,” he continued.
230–240 runs should have been scored in the first inning. Najmul Hossain Shanto
Najmul Hossain Shanto, who batted for such wickets, stated that Bangladesh lacked runs in the middle of the pitch and that their batting collapse was the reason it appeared unfavorable.
“We are not here to get better while we play tests. Practice is not allowed here. Our goal is to prevail in the test. While it is crucial that we be ready to win the test, we ought to seize this kind of opportunity. By practicing with quality wickets, we can get ready for first-class cricket. Najmul Hossain Shanto, stated, “We should prepare wickets like these and wickets like away conditions in the Bangladesh Cricket League or the National Cricket League.”
“The pitch at Sylhet wasn’t particularly beneficial for bowlers. Bowlers had to put forth a lot of effort to get wickets. A small amount of assistance was provided for hitters and bowlers. In Dhaka, we did not bat well. The first inning should have seen us score between 230 and 240 runs. We reached 172, so it appeared like a horrible wicket. It was difficult to play new ball, but that’s true everywhere on the globe. We might have averted this predicament if we had hit better in the opening inning, but it wasn’t any different here,” he said.
It is important to remember that following the two-match Test series, New Zealand and Bangladesh will play three ODI matches before a three-match T20I series. On Sunday, December 17, the University Oval in Dunedin, New Zealand, will host the inaugural ODI.