New Zealand team is in the firm control of the second Test against Bangladesh, after Chris Martin ripped apart the Bangladesh’s batting line-up by picking up a five–wicket haul on the opening day of the Test that commenced in Wellington on Saturday.
The Kiwis finished the day at 134 for three, just nine runs behind Bangladesh's total of 143 as former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming was unbeaten on 39 with Mathew Sinclair not out nine.
The wrecker-in-chief for the Kiwis Martin took five for 65 as New Zealand's bowlers made mockery of Bangladesh's frail batting line-up, dismissing the tourists in less than three and a half hours.
Iain O'Brien picked-up three wickets while fellow paceman Kyle Mills and spinner Daniel Vettori shared a wicket each as the Kiwis bundled up Bangladesh’s first innings under 50 overs.
Only Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful provided some resistance to the team but he was being short of partners from the other end, top-scored with 35 and Aftab Ahmed scored an unbeaten 25.
No other player from the rest of the Bangladesh team could be able to cross the 15-run mark, leaving the tourists again in the lurch of facing another heavy defeat. Bangladesh lost the first Test by nine wickets in Dunedin.
Kyle Mills got the early breakthrough after he sent young opener Tamim Iqbal to pavilion for 15. Tamim scored two brilliant half-centuries in each innings of his Test debut in Dunedin last week, caught by Sinclair at backward point.
Habibul Bashar (1) edged behind to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off Martin to become his first victim and then he claimed his second when opener Junaid Siddique (13) caught at third slip by Matthew Bell. Junaid made a half-century on his debut last week.
Shariar Nafees was next to go as Peter Fulton caught him at second slip off O'Brien. Brien also claimed skipper Ashraful's prized wicket, caught by McCullum, even though television replays showed that the skipper was unlucky to be given out, as the ball had not made any contact with the bat.
Bangladesh were reeling on 86-5 at the time of lunch and the wickets kept falling in the post-lunch session as well, as Martin scalped three more to complete his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests.
Replying against the paltry Bangladesh total, New Zealand suffered an early blow in their reply when Bell, who made a century in Dunedin in the first Test, caught by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim off Sajidul Islam.
Craig Cumming and Fulton both had good starts but could not be able to capitalise their score. Cumming was trapped in front by Shakib Al Hasan for 42 and Fulton lost his wicket in the same manner by Mashrafe Mortaza for 22.
Bangladesh where comprehensively beaten inside three days in the first Test and after that dismal show one was expecting a huge doggedness from the Bangladeshi batsmen but they disappointed as the wickets stumbled with a familiar regularity.
The highest partnership of the first innings of the second Test from the Bangladesh’s side was 31 between Junaid Siddique and Mohammad Ashraful for the third wicket, which clearly summed up the state of affairs of the India’s eastern neighbouring team.
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