Watch: Glenn Phillips took his maiden Test wicket with a high full toss, which Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto slogged down mid-on’s throat on day one of the first BAN vs NZ Test in Sylhet today (November 28).
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Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first. They went in with three spinners, just like New Zealand. The visitors picked Glenn Phillips ahead of Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner to add variety to their spin attack, and it paid dividends.
Ajaz Patel got them the first breakthrough by ripping through Zakir Hasan in the 13th over of the day. Shanto, the Bangladesh captain, came out with ultra-aggressive intent at No.3.
With the ball turning square early in the first session, Shanto wasted no time in taking the attack to the New Zealand spinners. He hit his fourth ball for a six and followed it up with a boundary off his sixth.
Shanto particularly eyed up the left-arm spin of Patel, hitting him for three sixes in his short cameo. Phillips, playing only his second Test match, came into the attack in the 23rd over, for the first time in his Test career.
Having bowled well in the recently concluded World Cup in India, Phillips didn’t take long to get amongst the wickets, though he can’t take much of the credit himself. The second ball of his second over was a big full toss which Shanto was over-eager to deposit in the stands. He stepped out and tried to go over the leg side, only to sky it to Kane Williamson at mid-on to hand New Zealand their second wicket and Phillips his first.
Phillips wasn’t done though. He ended day one with four wickets in his bag, those of Shanto, Mominul Haque, Shahadat Hossain, and Nurul Hasan, justifying his selection in the process.
Bangladesh finished the day on 310-9 and Phillips finished with figures of 16-1-53-4.
