BAN vs NZ: Mushfiqur Rahim becomes first Bangladesh player to be dismissed for handling the ball

In the second Test match between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Dhaka, veteran Stumper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim got out in a bizarre fashion. The 36-year-old played a backfoot defence and assuming the ball would hit the stumps, he quickly spread his hand to stop it. This is the second time, Mushfiqur tried to attempt the same but this time, New Zealand appealed for the same as the cricketer had to leave the field.

With that, he became the first Bangladesh cricketer to be dismissed for obstructing the field. Previously, the likes of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Ben Stokes have suffered the same consequences in international cricket while Alex Ross was given out for something similar in the Big Bash League (BBL).

Meanwhile, Bangladesh are in a very tight spot in the second Test against New Zealand. After winning the first match by 150 runs, the Najmul Shanto-led side was confident of repeating the same but their batting unit on Day 1 has failed to put up a show. Mushfiqur alongside Shahadat Hossain tried to build a partnership but the prior’s dismissal changed the momentum.

On the other hand, spinners have once again been effective in the match. Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips have been very disciplined in the match as the aim would be to bowl in tight areas. In the first match, the visiting team failed to understand the conditions properly, as Ish Sodhi later stated and hence, they would not only aim to pick wickets, but to restrict them to a lower total.

Batting in the fourth innings will not be an easy task in Bangladesh and for that, the spinners might have to put in extra shifts. Meanwhile, Taijul Islam, who picked up 10 wickets in the first Test, will once again be extremely vital for the home team. With the bat, Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell will be key for New Zealand as they have enough experience of playing in spin-friendly conditions.