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Bangladesh have given us blueprint to succeed in these conditions: Sodhi
Follow UsNew Zealand succumbed to a defeat at the hands of the hosts Bangladesh in the first Test
New Zealand succumbed to defeat despite taking a slender seven-run lead against Bangladesh in the first innings of the first Test. It was all down to Najmul Hossain Shanto’s patient and gritty 105 that took the hosts Bangladesh’s lead to 331. With a mountain to climb, New Zealand faltered in the second innings, with Taijul Islam picking up a six-fer.
In the aftermath of the 150-run defeat, New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi reckoned that the hosts Bangladesh have given them the blueprint to succeed in these conditions.
"I think the way that Bangladesh played, they certainly outplayed us, but upon reflection, I think they gave us a blueprint on what's successful in these conditions, and hopefully we can apply that to this next Test match,” Sodhi said ahead of the second Test.
"Yeah, obviously tough to come out on the losing side in that first game in Sylhet but I think as the Test sort of progressed we sort of found a bit more rhythm," Sodhi added
However, Sodhi was certain that New Zealand have the experience to overturn such a staggering loss.
"You know, off the back of a loss, but with the experienced heads here, you know, we've been there, we've done that, we know how to sort of apply ourselves into the next games, and hopefully that's something that we can commit to really well and, yeah, apply to this next game," he added.
The second Test between these two teams will be played in Mirpur, a setting that Sodhi is well acclimated to, considering his best ODI figures - 6/39 - came at the same venue. It wasn’t just that, with the bat in the same ODI earlier, Sodhi had also scored a 39-ball 35.
"Going into conditions where you have had a bit of success, you always have a bit more confidence going into games like that," he said.
"It'll just be about exposing the conditions as best as we can, figuring out whether it's going to turn, or if it's not, what that looks like for us in terms of attacking and defence. So I am really looking forward to the prospect of the second Test, but a couple of good hard days of practice beforehand."
