Bits and bobs from Dhaka

Playing to your ambition

Small steps.  Bangladesh draw a series against New Zealand for the first time, and gain 8 points in the ICC Test Rankings as a result.  That is all good, but you really got the feeling that 0-0 was the extent of their ambitions.

The refusal to give even casual thought to a chase in Chittagong, and a second innings here that showed no signs of taking advantage of the dominant position they were playing themselves into.

And those pitches.  From beyond the grave.  There was a hope for a while that the Dhaka pitch may be more like a zombie, but as the test wore on it showed fewer signs of any life whatsoever.

This time the Real Thing

Remember all that hype about Mohammad Ashraful, and how he was the future of Bangladesh cricket?  After a 61 test career it never came to pass.

But forget about that, the future of Bangladesh cricket is Momimul Haque.  OK, he was batting in his conditions here, and is likely to struggle in Australia and England.  But how often does Bangladesh get to play there anyway?

The Three Ws

OK, so it’s not quite Walcott, Weekes and Worrell, but New Zealand’s version formed the backbone of the side in this series.  Williamson and Watling both averaged over 80, and scored two centuries and three fifties between them in six innings.

And while the quicks struggled on these planks, Wagner just kept on going and going and going.  Appropriate use of the tongue when required too.  Southee will come back into this side when match-fit, but it is not Wagner who needs to be worried about his place.

The long awaited arrival

It seems strange that Corey Anderson is only 22; he seems to have been around for a long time, but that’s what you get with someone who makes their first class debut aged 16.

But a transfer to Northern Districts, and more of a focus on fitness, seems to be paying dividends.  He was more of a bowler in Chittagong, but it was his batting that impressed in Dhaka.  There was real confidence in the way he approached things for someone playing in his second test.  Remember he got to the wicket with NZ 127/4 and in real trouble.

He is rightly being treated with care though.  Note how careful they were with his bowling load.

Something’s missing

In the 2013 calendar year the following New Zealand batsmen have scored test centuries.  Fulton(2), Brownlie, Rutherford, Williamson, Watling and Anderson.

If ever you wanted a justification for Taylor and McCullum returning home to play some four day cricket rather than an ODI series in Sri Lanka, it is that.

Esoteric Stat corner

In a two match series the New Zealand numbers 10 and 11 both scored half-centuries.  This has to be a world first?

And before you suggest Gillespie and McGrath, Gillespie batted at number 9 in that test.