The contest of bat and ball has been continuing intensely even in the third day of the first Test of the series between Bangladesh and New Zealand as the host took a lead of 104 runs at tea at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Captain Najmul Hossain and Mominul Haque went to break with an unbeaten 85-run stand to keep the hosts’ slightly ahead in the game after two wickets in quick succession.
Bangladesh openers Mahmudul Hasan and Zakir Hasan survived the tricky period before the lunch accumulating 19 runs off 10 overs as hosts took a lead of 12 runs.
After lunch Zakir was the first to go when he fell prey to left-arm spinner Aijaz Patel for the second time in the match. Like in the first innings, left-handed batter failed to play a sharp turn properly and was dismissed leg before for 12.
Mahmudul, who scored 86 in the first innings, was out in a rather unfortunate way. Najmul drove the last ball of the 14th over, bowled by Tim Southee, but the ball ricocheted off the bowler’s finger and broke the stumps of the non-striking end where Mahmudul was out of the crease. Mahmudul was out for 17 and Bangladesh were suddenly in a vulnerable situation with 26-2, but Mominul and Shanto came up with a counter attack targeting Ajaz Patel and took the score to 111-2 at tea.
Najmul was not out on 48 and Mominul was on 38 at the tea break.
Earlier in the morning, Mominul proved his ability of taking wickets as the occasional bowler picked up two wickets to wrap up their first innings.
Overnight New Zealand pair Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson, who resumed with a trail of 46 runs, batted stubbornly throughout the first hour and made sure their team got the vital first innings lead.
Just when it seemed the visitors were heading for a substantial lead in the turning track, Bangladesh resorted to Mominul, who got a home Test wicket after nine years yesterday, and he straightaway broke the 52-run stand.
The first ball of Mominul’s new spell and also the first ball after the drinks break saw Jamieson beaten and adjudged leg before for 23. Aijaz Patel took a single three balls later and when Southee, who made 35, tried to whack the fifth ball he was clean bowled.
New Zealand took a seven-run lead as Mominul ended with his best figure of 3-4. As a matter of fact, Mominul now has seven wickets out of 10 against the kiwis. The only other innings he got Test wickets was against South Africa in 2017 when he grabbed 3-27 at Potchefstroom.