Mushfiqur Rahim‘s rare obstructing-the-field dismissal added a unique twist to the contest, ultimately leaving New Zealand in a challenging position.
As it happened: 2nd Test
Bangladesh struggled with bat
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh faced early setbacks as they slumped to 47/4 within 15 overs, courtesy of a formidable display by New Zealand’s spin duo, Mitchell Santner (3-65) and Ajaz Patel (2-54).
However, Mushfiqur Rahim (35) and Shahadat Hossain (31) orchestrated a crucial 57-run partnership, stabilising the innings until the 41st over.
Turning point – A ‘bizarre dismissal’
The turning point came in an unexpected manner when Mushfiqur, defending a Kyle Jamieson delivery, instinctively extended his right hand to push the ball away, even though it posed no threat to the stumps.
The TV umpire upheld New Zealand’s appeal, classifying it as an obstructing-the-field dismissal – a rare occurrence in cricket.
Mushfiqur becomes the first Bangladeshi batter to be given out in this fashion, as the rules shifted from ‘handling the ball’ to ‘obstructing the field’ in 2017.
Despite Mushfiqur’s departure, Bangladesh managed to post a total of 172 runs, with Glenn Phillips (3-31) wreaking havoc in the lower order for New Zealand.
New Zealand crumbled against spin
When it was New Zealand’s turn to bat, they faced their own set of challenges with the top order crumbling against the spin-friendly conditions.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (3-17) and Taijul Islam (2-29) left the visitors struggling at 55/5 when play was halted due to bad light, with only 79 overs bowled in the day.
Daryl Mitchell (12) and Glenn Phillips (five) will resume New Zealand’s innings on Thursday as they aim to recover from the early setbacks and stay in contention in the series.
Hosts lead the series: The opening Test in Sylhet saw Bangladesh emerge victorious by 150 runs, marking their first-ever home soil Test win against New Zealand.
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(With inputs from Reuters)