‘They made us come back and bowl spell after spell’

"They played very, very well. They were decisive. They made us come back and bowl spell after spell," said Trent Boult, New Zealand's premier pacer, after the third day's play in their first Test against Bangladesh at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui today.  

Not often do we see Bangladesh batters dominate an entire day and make opponents toil hard for the wickets. Usually, it is the other way round. 

But it was different today with the players putting a price on their wicket. In fact, Bangladesh looked like a totally different batting unit since they came on to bat just before lunch on the second day of the Test. 

While Liton Das and Mominul Haque went on to score in the 80s and stitch a crucial 158-run stand, Mushfiqur Rahim ground out a stubborn 53-ball 12 when scoring wasn't easy at the start of the day. 

At that time, Mushfiqur was supported by Mominul after Bangladesh had lost overnight batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy early. The duo of Mushfiqur and Mominul showed impeccable grit and patience, scoring just 19 runs in 18 overs at a difficult period. 

In fact, it was the first time that all top six batters of Bangladesh faced more than 50 deliveries each in a Test overseas. 

Boult, however, picked two crucial wickets -- those of Mominul and Liton -- late on the day today to give the Kiwis something to cheer about at the end of a tiring day. But with how Bangladesh have fared so far, Boult realised that the game could go right down the wire.

"We have played against Bangladesh a lot, both home and away. They have batted extremely well here. They are an improving nation. We haven't taken them lightly in this series. It is exciting to see the game so evenly poised. It is going to be a test for both sides," said Boult.