To have astonishing days like
yesterday there must be routine days against which to measure them. This is not
to say that day three was mundane or boring—345 runs in a day can’t be
that—just that it proceeded much as expected.
Bangladesh batted on for an
hour so. They looked in no trouble at all, despite losing Taskin caught at slip
and having Sabbir dropped at mid-on by Latham (in a way that sustains my crackpot
theory that fielders lose the ball against the pohutukawa flowers at this time
of year). The declaration came at 595 for eight, Bangladesh’s second-highest test
score.
The Bangladesh pace attack is
one of the least experienced in test history with one career wicket show between
the three of them, so it was little surprise that off spinner Mehedi Hasan
Miraz was handed the new ball, even though he is just 19 and playing in only his
third test. Mehedi took 19 wickets in the recent two-match series against
England who responded to the challenges he presented in the manner of an infant
class trying to solve The Times crossword.
Of course, conditions at the
Basin were very different to what he is used to, with plenty of bounce but no discernible
turn. A Bangladeshi commenter on CricInfo
looked forward to Mehedi making use of the pitch as it broke up, in which case
he should check back around Easter.
Mehedi bowled 26 overs for 82
runs but no wickets, but he bowled very few “four” balls and did not allow
batsmen to dominate. It was a commendable performance in the circumstances.
With Shakib not bowling much
after his batting heroics, it was up to the fast-bowling novitiate to make the
breakthrough. Jeet Raval was dropped at second slip off Subashis, but hung out
his bat to the first ball bowled by Kamral Islam Rabbi (a name that encompasses
cricket’s ability to heal divides).
This brought in Kane Williamson
who batted with ease of a man at the peak of his profession. Any ball even
marginally deficient in line of length was politely assisted between the
fielders to the rope. A leg glance took him to a half-century at just under a
run a ball. A batting master class seemed in prospect and there was foolish
talk of a tilt at McCullum’s 302.
But the next ball from debutant
Taskin Ahmed was the ball of the day, hitting a perfect upright seam and
finding the edge as it moved away. It was his first test wicket, and taken with
a ball that deserved to get a fine player.
Ross Taylor was next, and was
in as good touch as Williamson. His footwork was would not have disgraced
Darcey Bussell. On 40 he got a long hop from Kamrul and the crowd was
collectively asking itself “four or six?”. Instead he drilled it straight to
mid-wicket.
Meanwhile, Kent’s Tom Latham was
working his way to his sixth test century in 27 tests, a decent ratio. He has
quietly established himself as the junior member of the triumvirate that
sustains New Zealand’s currently fragile batting. Particularly strong in the
arc from third man to extra cover, his shot selection was faultless, and he is
never hurried, never worried. Like Williamson and Taylor he has the skill, but
what is more important, the temperament too.
As expected, the pace attack
was unthreatening and brought to mind Trevor Bailey’s remark about the England
attack of the late eighties, that the captain could change the bowler but not
the bowling. All three of them are right-arm amiable pace, but they stuck at it
along with Mehedi with occasional contributions from Shakib, and did not get
taken apart. Indeed, the batting was at its most contained in the last hour of the
day, which says something about their stamina and concentration.
At the end of the third day the
course of the rest of the match looks as predictable as a Mills and Boon plot,
but we can hope for an infusion of Agatha Christie and any poisoner would do
well to start with the pitch.
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