Bangladesh in Command After Thrilling Day 1 of 2nd Test against New Zealand

As the hosts look to win a Test series for the first time ever against the Kiwis, Bangladesh took complete control of the concluding Test against them on Wednesday after losing 15 wickets on a thrilling opening day.

After being dismissed for 172, the home team mounted a comeback, bringing New Zealand to 55/5 in 12.4 overs before poor light forced stumping.

On a wicket where the bounce was uneven and most balls kept low, both teams' batters found it difficult to score runs. Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, chose to bat first, and the bowlers from New Zealand applied pressure by giving up just eight runs in the first seven overs while maintaining a tight line and length.

Mitchell Santner (3/31) and Glenn Phillips (3/65) both off-spinners shared six wickets, causing havoc with Bangladesh's batting lineup. Another left-arm spinner, Ajaz Patel, claimed 2/54, with captain Tim Southee taking one wicket.

Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored the most with 35, was the first batter from Bangladesh to be removed from the game for blocking the field.

In the eighth over, Zakir Hasan drove Patel through cover for four runs, scoring Bangladesh's first boundary. As wickets fell consistently, Bangladesh was reduced to 47/4.

Playing in just his second Test match, Shahadat Hossain and Mushfiqur combined for 57 runs, eventually keeping Bangladesh ahead on a tricky wicket.

Shahadat (31) started another collapse after Mushfiqur was dismissed.

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