Bangladesh set 332-run target for New Zealand

Bangladesh set a challenging target of 332 runs for New Zealand in the ongoing Sylhet Test on Friday.

To secure victory in this match, New Zealand must achieve their best successful chase in the fourth innings of the Test. Their most successful fourth-inning chase was 324 for five against Pakistan in 1994.

Bangladesh concluded their second innings with a total of 338 runs, featuring a century from Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and fifties from Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

The most substantial partnership for Bangladesh occurred in the fourth-wicket stand, with Mushfiqur and Shanto adding 98 runs. In the third-wicket stand, shared by Shanto and Mominul Haque, Bangladesh scored 90 runs.

After Mushfiqur’s dismissal, Bangladesh needed a resilient player to contribute late runs and pose a formidable challenge to the visitors. Mehidy accomplished this with his fifth fifty in his test career.

For New Zealand, Ajaz Patel claimed four wickets, conceding 148 runs in 36.4 overs, while the other New Zealand spinner, Ish Sodhi, took two wickets.

In the earlier innings, New Zealand scored 317, with a century from Kane Willaimson, in response to Bangladesh’s first-inning total of 310. Mahmudul Hasan Joy scored 86 for Bangladesh in the first inning.

Glenn Phillips took four wickets for New Zealand in Bangladesh’s first innings, while Taijul Islam emerged as the best bowler for the hosts in the first innings against New Zealand, claiming four wickets, reports UNB.