Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful are jubilant after the fall of another New Zealand wicket, Bangladesh v New Zealand, 1st Test, Chittagong, 2nd day, October 18, 2008The 21-year-old had taken only three test wickets in six tests prior to this match but turned destroyer to help reduce the tourists to 155-9 after the hosts were dismissed for 245.
He finished the day with the startling figures for 6-31 from 24 overs and hauled in a stunning catch in the final over to cap a memorable day at the Divisional Stadium.
His performance overshadowed that of BLACKCAPS skipper Daniel Vettori who regsitered his 16th five-wicket haul in test cricket to wrap up the Tigers' first innings and then added a typically beligerent 49 not out to limit the damage to the tourists.
Shakib was quickly into his work, making the initial breakthrough in his second over to remove Jamie How while debutant Jesse Ryder fell in his third. Fellow spinner Abdur Razzak removed Ross Taylor before Shakib ended Aaron Redmond's watchful 90-ball stay on 19 to have the BLACKCAPS in early trouble at 52 for four.
The test minnows refused to let the BLACKCAPS off the hook and Shakib snared three more wickets in the final session to leave the visitors on the ropes.
It was not the response the BLACKCAPS wanted after they wrapped up the Tigers' innings by claiming the final six wickets for 62 when play got underway on day two.
Vettori grabbed three wickets before lunch to finish with 5-59 off 36 overs, but it was Iain O'Brien who struck first after the Tigers had resumed on 183 for 4 to remove Mehrab Hossain for 83.
The right-hander was deceived by a slower ball and could only prod a catch to Redmond at extra cover giving the Wellington paceman his third wicket of the innings.
Jeetan Patel enticed Naeem Islam to charge down the pitch only to be stumped by Brendon McCullum to end a 41-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim and then Vettori got in out the act.
Rahim fell for 79 after top-edging a sweep to How in close to be the seventh wicket to fall with the score on 229 and the end came 16 runs later with Vettori taking a diving ctach off Patel to wrap up the innings.
The BLACKCAPS' reply began encouragingly enough with the openers negotiating almost 15 overs before How got a leading edge to a ball from Shakib that Rajin Saleh clutched at silly mid off. Ryder lasted only five balls on debut before a defensive prod gave the Shakib and Saleh combination more reason to celebrate.
Razzak claimed the scalp of Taylor, leg before wicket with a ball that appeared to clip the inside edge, and his left the BLACKCAPS at 46 for three in the 22nd over and their predicament worsened when Redmond fell an over before the tea interval.
McCullum and Daniel Flynn staged something of a fightback to add 47 for the fifth wicket before Flynn gave Islam a wicket in his first over in test cricket when he edged a cut to Rahim behind the stumps.
McCullum went in the next over, losing one hand on the bat and lofting the ball to Razzak at mid on. One-day hero Jacob Oram fell for a four-ball duck to give Shakib his first five-wicket bag in test cricket and leave the BLACKCAPS rocking at 100 for seven.
Vettori and Kyle Mills knuckled down and eked out precious runs in a 27-run stand that was ended when umpire Asoka de Silva adjudged that Mills had edged Shakib behind but the Aucklander was none too happy with the decision.
No. 10 Patel offered no runs, but valuable support to Vettori to see the pair add another 29 runs but he fell in the final over of the day, heaving a short ball from Mohammad Ashraful to Shakib at midwicket who pulled off a spectacular catch to heap more misery on the tourists.
Vettori battled through all the drama to cash in on anything short of overpitched to be unbeaten at the close one short of his 17th test fifty. But with only O'Brien to keep him company when play resumes on day three, the BLACKCAPS are facing a sizable first innings deficit.
Read more news from:
Vettori frustrated by team's batting display
CricInfo.com, UK
New Zealand 155-9 at stumps while Bangladesh 245 all out in first Test
The Canadian Press
Shakib rips through New Zealand
BBC Sport, UK
Shakib hits Black Caps for six
The Press Association
New Zealand struggle against Bangladesh
Independent Online, South Africa
Timid Tigers fend off Kiwis
SkySports
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