Neil Wagner produced a typically aggressive yet economical display to end with 2-27, but the rest of the Black Caps attack failed to fire. Video / Spark Sport
On a day in which the Black Caps bowlers struggled to strike with the ball, it may have been theirefforts with the bat which were more egregious.
The New Zealand seam attack only picked up two wickets – both from Neil Wagner – in 67 overs of toil, but with a few half-chances going begging and minimal assistance from the conditions, it was an excusable display, and one that could quickly turn in their favour on day three.
Their batting, however, was less excusable, as the Black Caps tumbled from 258-5 to 328 all out on a Bay Oval wicket that was later proven had few demons in it.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh celebrates the wicket of Kyle Jamieson. Photo / Getty
The Black Caps' tail order has long been one of the best in world cricket, able to add quick runs with an array of powerful hitters. Without Colin de Grandhomme, not selected for this series, they were down one attacker, and his all-rounder replacement, Rachin Ravindra, failed to show his batting talent, departing for four early on day two.
That brought the Black Caps seamers to the crease, in conditions they have excelled with lower-order runs in the past. In Kyle Jamieson (test batting average of 30.1), Tim Southee (16.7), Wagner (13.9) and Trent Boult (15.6), they had the firepower to assist Henry Nicholls towards a score of 400.
Instead, they were rolled for their lowest first-innings total at home against Bangladesh.
Jamieson and Southee are cut from a similar cloth – their best tests with the bat have come when being aggressive. However, there's a difference between being aggressive and being reckless, and Jamieson fell on the wrong side of the ledger when slogging spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz right down the throat of the long-on fielder, specifically stationed for that rush of blood.
Southee's dismissal was a result of clever bowling from Mehidy, but still avoidable. The seamer was tied down by dot balls, and in an attempt to rotate the strike, he came down the wicket to try chip a delivery over midwicket. Mehidy saw him coming, adjusted, and Southee clipped it straight to the fielder.
Tim Southee's dismissal was avoidable. Photo / Getty
Wagner was out the next ball, pushing at a good delivery and being caught behind, while Boult's usual theatrics then forced Nicholls into aggressive shotmaking which ended the Black Caps' innings well short of where they had wished.
Instead of pushing near 400, the batsmen from No 7 down had produced scores of four, six, six, zero and nine not out, and Bangladesh showed what could have been done with more application as they reached 175-2 at stumps – only 153 runs behind thanks to New Zealand's poor finish with the bat.
Nicholls acknowledged the team was disappointed in their batting efforts on day two.
"It wasn't as many runs as we would have liked," Nicholls told Spark Sport.
"We identified that the first hour was going to be massive, they only have three seamers and they have a lot of work to do. We wanted to take it a bit longer and we weren't able to. But credit to Bangladesh, Mehidy didn't make it easy for the lower order to rotate the strike and ultimately the pressure told.
"We were a bit disappointed with that."
New Zealand's first-innings scores at home v Bangladesh
