As Bangladesh won the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, history can be repeated in Christchurch. An inexperienced team snatched an unprecedented victory for Bangladesh which has motivated Team Tigers to upset the host Blackcaps in the second Test at the Hagley Oval. Not to mention, the Kiwis will fight heart and soul to level the series by avenging their loss in the opening match. On the other hand, Bangladesh aspire to win their first Test series against New Zealand. Let's have a look at the preview for the second Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh.    

New Zealand vs Bangladesh 2nd Test Match Preview

Some important feats were broken following Bangladesh's historic Test match victory against New Zealand in the series opener. Prior to that win, team Tigers had lost 32 games in all formats against the Blackcaps in New Zealand. Besides, Bangladesh had to wait for 16 matches to beat New Zealand in a Test match for the first time. New Zealand had gone 17 games without losing before facing Bangladesh in the first Test of the ongoing series. It was against South Africa in 2017 that they last lost a home Test series. As a result, they are in danger of losing their first home Test series in five years. Bangladesh will win the series 1-0 if the second Test ends in a draw. The second match will begin at 4 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time) on Sunday. 

Read Five Defining Moments of Bangladesh’s Historic Test Victory Over New Zealand 

New Zealand

The way in which New Zealand performed in the first Test was upsetting for the team. New Zealand should have won the match despite the fact that the surface was favorable to the batters. However, Bangladesh's fast bowlers were outstanding throughout the match. They bowled New Zealand out twice in the match and clinched a historic victory over them.

The New Zealand campaign must reflect on what went wrong in the first match and try to find a solution in order to rectify their mistakes in the do-or-die second Test.

New Zealand batters Latham, Nicholls, and Ross Taylor failed to motivate the batting unit in the absence of regular leader Kane Williamson. Conway scored a century in the first innings but fell short in the crucial second innings.

Read Bangladesh National Men's Cricket Team Schedules for 2022

In the bowling department, Jamieson, Wagner, and Southee were not in their usual lethal form, which allowed Bangladesh to bat for a long time in the first innings (176.2 overs, their second-highest in away Tests).

The faster bowlers will benefit from the Christchurch pitch, and everyone knows how deadly Kiwi bowlers can be on a green surface. More crucially, New Zealand players have a strong track record in Christchurch, where they dominate the bowling and batting charts. Therefore, New Zealand will be hoping for a great comeback in order to save the series.

Top 3 most wicket-takers at the Hagley Oval (Test)

          Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Top 3 most run-scorers at the Hagley Oval (Test) 

          Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Probable Playing XI

Top Order: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Will Young, Middle-Order: Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Tom Blundell, Daryl Mitchell, Lower-Order: Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh's young Test team surprised the cricket world with their steady performance in the first Test match against New Zealand. Bangladesh can take a lot of positives away from this encounter. The most vital one is that pace bowlers had shown encouraging bowling displays all throughout the game. Pacer Ebadot Hossain had the worst bowling average prior to this match but he dramatically improved his Test stats with a match-winning bowling performance in the second innings. Taskin Ahmed has improved as a Test bowler, while left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam has demonstrated his bowling potential. In short, pace bowlers were just excellent in the competition.

Newcomer Mahmudul Hasan Joy had displayed great patience with the bat. The batting technique of Nazmul Hossain and Liton Das was flawless. In addition, skipper Mominul Haque played a key role by forming a strong partnership with Liton Das in the first innings. Bangladesh's overall team performance was brilliant.

Bangladesh would be obliged to make one change in the playing XI for the second Test due to Mahmudul Hasan Joy's unexpected injury. Mohammad Naim is most likely to take his position in the final encounter of the series. 

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Probable Playing XI

Top Order: Shadman Islam, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Middle-Order: Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Lower-Order: Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain

What Should be Bangladesh’s Game Strategy

Bangladesh's batters will face even more tough competition in the second Test because of the pace-friendly pitch in Christchurch. However, it would be an ideal pitch for Bangladesh pacers to perform to their full potential in the match. They will have to shoulder most of the responsibility to win the series.

On the other hand, batters must be even more cautious in their approach and batting technique. The Tigers will be able to seize control of the game if they score big in the first innings. Bangladesh may accomplish their goal with adequate planning and commitment.  

Read ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh Team 

Team-wise Test Records in Christchurch

      Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Probable Playing XI

Top Order: Shadman Islam, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Middle-Order: Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Lower-Order: Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain.

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New Zealand vs Bangladesh: Head-to-Head Test Stats

Bangladesh and New Zealand have faced each other in 16 matches. Bangladesh won its first-ever Test match against New Zealand in the opening game of the ongoing series in Mount Maunganui. Overall, New Zealand have won 12 games, Bangladesh have won one, and the remaining three games have ended in a draw. Bangladesh will play a Test match in Christchurch for the second time. They played New Zealand in a Test at the Hagley Oval in 2017, which they lost by 9 wickets. 

New Zealand vs Bangladesh 2nd Test Match: Pitch Report and Weather Forecast

The Hagley Oval in Christchurch will most likely be a pace-friendly surface. Therefore, batters must remain patient at the crease, as quicker bowlers are likely to get seam movement throughout the game. The weather forecast suggests that the temperature would be a little milder on the first day. The final two days are scheduled to be rainy, but the match is expected to go on to the end. Bangladesh played a match against New Zealand in Christchurch back in 2017 and they lost the encounter by 9 wickets. 

Verdict

New Zealand are a tough opponent in Christchurch. Their record against Sub-Continent teams at the Hagley Oval is particularly impressive. Therefore, beating New Zealand on this particular ground will be a huge challenge for Bangladesh. However, this Bangladeshi team is extremely driven right now and believes that they can beat any major Test side in the world. In this regard, the second Test match between New Zealand and Bangladesh is likely to be competitive. 

Read NZ vs BAN Test Series 2022: Five Bangladesh Players to keep an eye on