New Zealand Test skipper Tim Southee has highlighted a key factor in New Zealand’s defeat to Bangladesh in Sylhet. The Kiwis, tasked to chase 332 were bowled out for 181 and lost by 150 runs in the opening contest of the two-match series. The defeat for New Zealand was powered by Taijul Islam who ended with 75/6 in the second innings as the hosts now lead 1-0 with a draw in the second match resulting in an unlikely series win.
Southee highlights key factor
"You look at the way the Bangladesh bowlers were able to apply pressure for a long period of time. I think we did that in periods, but we did not do it for long enough," Southee said in post-match.
"We had a little bit of a break after the World Cup. As a professional player, you know it's a busy schedule. It's been a long time on the road for some, but that's part and parcel of being an international cricketer."
"We knew in this part of the world, as Rest moves on, it gets harder to bat. Every time you lose, it's not ideal but I think it's just a sign of an ever-improving Bangladesh team," Southee added.
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What happened in the match?
Earlier, New Zealand took a slight seven-run first innings lead having posted 317 on the board in response to Bangladesh’s 310. Captain Kane Williamson scored 104 while Taijul scalped four wickets to be the star of the show. In their second innings, riding on Najmul Hossain Shanto’s ton, Bangladesh scored 338 and set a target of 332 runs to win for New Zealand. They were eventually bowled out for 181 with Mitchell top scoring with 58.
The win sees Bangladesh start their 2023-25 WTC campaign on a high while New Zealand will look to bounce back from the disappointment. The two teams will next meet on Wednesday (Dec 6) in the second Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. This will also see the conclusion of the Bangladesh tour for New Zealand, which was spanned on either side of the ODI World Cup in India.