KEY POINTS:
Having got out of jail on days four and five of the first test at Chittagong, largely thanks to their captain and his batsmen, New Zealand are aiming to fly home next week with a 2-0 wrap in the series.
The second test starts at Dhaka tomorrow. Bangladesh
should take heart from much of what occurred at Chittagong.
What must New Zealand do to sweep the series and do it with more efficiency than they did in Chittagong?
1 Hit the test running
* Two catches were dropped in the first three overs at Chittagong, and a third before lunch. Okay, none proved match-changing, but the point is it's always best to start strongly.
Aaron Redmond was the culprit twice, Brendan McCullum once. Bangladesh might arrive tomorrow still puzzled as to how they butchered their best chance to beat a major test nation. That's the time for New Zealand to assert themselves.
It's rare that the Kiwis get to put their foot on opponents' throats. More often it is they who are feeling the soles of rivals' footwear. A hardnosed approach and sharper all-round performance would be good to see.
2 Bowlers turn up the heat
* John Bracewell opined that New Zealand had bowled tidily enough in both innings.
Maybe so, but there was a distinct lack of penetration at times. Unlike batsmen from other test countries, Bangladesh's batsmen largely appear happy to drop anchor and not get flustered as the runs dry up.
Therefore the New Zealand bowlers need to be on the spot, but also prepared to experiment if things get bogged down. That might mean more overs from Redmond's leg spin, or going round the wicket to break the pattern.
3 Batsmen tidying up their act
* Of New Zealand's top seven batsmen in the first innings at Chittagong, only Ross Taylor - unluckily lbw off an inside edge - could escape the collective criticism of what transpired.
Batsmen were either tentative, playing down the wrong line, being rash or - in McCullum and Jacob Oram's cases - out to hair-brained shots given their respective situations at that time.
The second innings chasing down of 317 showed what could be achieved with a bit of care and concentration. Sure, the pitch had become easier, but 300-plus on the final day-and-a-half in the sub-continent is no mean feat.
The trick is now building on that at Dhaka. Think partnerships and batting sessions.
4 Respect the opposition
* There was a suggestion New Zealand had underestimated Bangladesh's capabilities before the first test.
It's a given that they're improving, but enough to win a test? Batsmen like Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Shakib al Hasan and Mehrab Hossain are 19, 21, 21 and 21 respectively. The average age of the first test team was 22.
Time, to paraphrase the Rolling Stones, is very much on their side. Nothing provides an incentive like a feeling of being disrespected by your opponents. Ask England's netballers ahead of their second international against the Silver Ferns last week.
5 Take out the umpire
* Avoid, at all costs, allowing the ball to strike their pads when Asoka de Silva is umpiring at the bowler's end.
Anyone wondering whether allowing players the right to appeal umpiring decisions - which will happen when the West Indies visit in December - will have changed their minds after seeing the Sri Lankan's woeful call on McCullum during the second innings at Chittagong.
De Silva was on the elite panel, then demoted in 2004 only to return.
In earlier times he bowled leg-spin pies which, in 10 tests earned him eight wickets at 129 runs apiece. Players have bad days, so too umpires. But de Silva's call was a 24 carat brain explosion.
