Different challenges await Tigers in Christchurch

Bangladesh finally found the resolve, mental depth and proper approach to overcome a 20-year old hurdle and win a first match in any format in New Zealand, clinching the first Test at Mount Maunganui on January 5.

Having accomplished an unbelievable task, the Tigers head to Christchurch to find something really special from the two-Test series.

In 2019, Christchurch was the scene of a terrorist shooting, which the Tigers were lucky to escape unharmed. Following the incident, the rest of the series was called off, with the Christchurch Test cancelled. That means the Tigers have played only one Test at the Hagley Oval till date.

The only time Bangladesh played there was in 2017 and there will be specific challenges that are different from Mount Manuganui.

Kamrul Islam Rabbi, one of the few players to have made an impact on that bleak tour by picking up six wickets with three in Christchurch, revealed the nature of those challenges. Bounce and swing will be on offer but there is a wind issue to counter, according to Kamrul.

"From what I recall, the wicket had good bounce and was very good for pacers. Normally on Bangladeshi wickets, we bowl eight-metre lengths to get the bounce where it will clip the bails of the stumps, but there you can get the same bounce by pitching at six-metre lengths," he told The Daily Star.

"The bounce is very even," Kamrul added, which means that the uneven bounce on the fourth day at Mount Maunganui will not help Bangladesh's cause here.

However, he also outlined specific challenges Bangladesh pacers will need to overcome.

"The swing may depend on the weather and the wind. At this time of the year, it's very cold and windy. When you bowl with the wind, it's easy. But bowling against the wind from the other end was incredibly difficult. I have a side-arm action and it's difficult but it's easier for bowlers with an open-chested action. We have Taskin [Ahmed] and Ebadot [Hossain], who have open-chested actions, but for [Abu Jayed] Rahi, who has a slightly side-arm action, it will be difficult," he said.

The task will be steeper for the batters. In the Tigers' last Test at the venue, a second innings debacle saw Bangladesh lose by nine wickets. Soumya Sarkar was one of the batters who scored runs in both innings (86 and 36) on that occasion and he prescribed early caution.

 "I think it's very important for batters to have patience in Christchurch. Since the ball gets a lot of movement initially, it's difficult for batters to adjust to the pace and bounce. Even in the second innings, when the pitch gets dry, the movement and bounce remains intact. They also have quality fast bowlers so I think if we can bat with patience for the first 30 overs, it gets a lot comfortable after that," Soumya told The Daily Star yesterday.

New Zealand's outgoing star Ross Taylor said during a press briefing yesterday that the 'bowlers will be licking their lips' while the 'batters need to apply themselves' better on what would be a regular wicket.

Meanwhile, ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, talking to the media during a commercial event in Dhaka, talked tactics.

"Everyone will be confident after the win. The toss will be important and might become the biggest factor. The wickets in New Zealand are very good on day two and three and bowling first could be the way to go," Shakib dictated, hoping confidence could come good in the second Test.