Shakib Al Hasan excelled with both bat and ball to put Bangladesh in control on the third day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Divisional Stadium yesterday.
The 21-year-old left-handed batsman scored 71, his maiden half-century, to guide the home team to 184-8 in their second innings at the close on a day when, as a left-arm spinner, he returned Bangladesh’s best innings figures of 7-36.
The home team, seeking their first win against a major Test playing nation, led by 258 runs overall with Mashrafe Mortaza (5) and Abdur Razzak (0) unbeaten at the close.
PHOTO: AP
Hasan added 48 for the seventh wicket with Naeem Islam (19), before miscuing a drive off Daniel Vettori, who was the pick of the tourists’ bowlers with 4-39.
It was Hasan’s destructive spin in the morning that wrapped up New Zealand’s first innings for 171 in reply to Bangladesh’s 245.
Hasan’s effort with the ball, which surpassed the previous best innings figures for Bangladesh in all their 54 Tests, gave the home side an invaluable 74-run lead in the first innings.
The tourists now face an uphill task to avoid defeat.
Hasan walked in with Bangladesh in dire straits at 71-5, having lost Zunaed Siddique (6), Rajin Saleh (6), skipper Mohammad Ashraful (0) and Mehrab Hossain (6) — all before lunch.
Tamim Iqbal (33) fell after tea, before Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim (32) added a precious 56 for the sixth wicket to ensure Bangladesh do not spurn a good chance of winning.
Even after Rahim fell, bowled by pace man Iain O’Brien, Hasan continued batting with resolve, hitting two successive boundaries off Kyle Mills to reach his maiden Test 50 and then three in one Jeetan Patel over.
Before Hasan’s resolute batting, Vettori and off-spinner Patel inflicted telling blows on the home team.
Patel had Saleh leg before wicket and first-innings hero Mehrab Hossain caught at mid-on, while Vettori accounted for a woeful Ashraful and a threatening Iqbal.
In the morning Vettori hit an unbeaten 55 for his 17th Test half-century, before Hasan dismissed O’Brien for 5. New Zealand added just 16 to their overnight total of 155-9.
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