Tigers hunt for history

After their historic win in the series opener, Bangladesh national cricket team will hunt for glory once again in their second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch starting today, an even bigger one.

With an eight-wicket win in the first Test at Mount Maunganui, their first win in the Blackcaps’ den, the Tigers already rewrote the history books. And this time around, the prize will be bigger.

Bangladesh have won only two Test series away from home, one at West Indies and one at Zimbabwe. If they manage to avoid defeat in Christchurch, they will have their third, and that in the arduous setting of New Zealand, a place that had been haunting them since their first tour in 2001.

The Blackcaps have not lost a Test series at home since 2017, and against an Asian team, that record dates back to 2011. And if they fail to find a result on their side, that long streak will break.

That is why Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo believes they will be under pressure in the second Test.

“They (New Zealand) are a quality side, and they will be hurting (after the defeat). They will be nervous going into the match. They lost a Test, and there isn’t time to recover. When you are playing Tests, the margin is small, and they know they will have to be on top of their game to win this match and level the series. It can work in our favour that they will be probably under a bit of pressure, being at home,” he said in a press conference on Saturday.

Domingo added that the Bangladesh players are in good spirit, and are looking forward to gaining something historic.

“It’s a young side, so they don’t come here with the scars that some of the older players have gained from playing in NZ so many times. There’s a really good spirit in the side at this moment, good energy. As I said, there are a lot of young players in the squad who are trying to make a career.

“They are very driven and determined, and they are looking to do what no other Bangladesh side have done before, win a series in NZ. They are halfway there; the job is not done. But they are very driven to achieve something special that can inspire another generation of Bangladesh cricket,” he said.

Historically, pitches at Christchurch have a grass covering on them, helping the pacers with some movement off the pitch. And Domingo believes that the toss will be vital.

“I think it’s going to be an important toss. I think stats show that the last 10 Tests here have been won by teams bowling first. The new ball on day one is going to be important. We will look to bowl first if we won the toss,” he said.

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham though, does not think that the coin flip will be the deciding factor.

“We’ve seen here that most teams win the toss and bowl first, but I certainly don’t think it’s a win the toss and win the game type surface,” he said on Saturday.

Latham is focused on starting well, “We’ve won when we’ve been put in. For us, whatever we do first up it’s important we adapt to the conditions, and we try and start really well.”

Besides trying to level the series, New Zealand will have an added motivation to give veteran Ross Taylor a fitting farewell as the long-serving Blackcaps batsman will retire from Tests after this match.

But Bangladesh are ready to spoil the party. And if they do, it will be something unforeseen and definitely something no one dreamt of before the series took off.