Rain forces second Test draw in Dhaka

Bangladesh, New Zealand share trophy after no play was possible on fifth day.

DHAKA: The second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand ended in a draw yesterday after rain washed out the fifth and final day’s play at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The result ensured the two teams shared the spoils in the series after the first Test in Chittagong also ended in a draw.

Match officials called off play at 2:08 pm local time after overnight showers and continuous drizzle made the ground unplayable.

Bangladesh were 269 for three overnight in the second innings, leading New Zealand by 114 runs.

Left-handed middle-order batsman Mominul Haque remained unbeaten on 126 alongside former captain Shakib Al Hasan on 32 not out.

Mominul, who also made 181 runs in the first innings of the first Test and aggregated 376 runs in the series, was named both man of the match and of the series.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim praised the consistency of his side.

“If you talk about the whole series, it was our target to consistently play well throughout,” said Rahim after the match.

“It was not easy for us. We played a Test match after nearly five-six months. We didn’t get that many chances to play longer-version matches. It was a challenge for us.

“It is a good sign that some players played well under pressure. We tend to play one Test well followed by a bad performance in the next one.

“It was nice to see that we have backed our performance in the first Test with a good showing in the second one.”

The two teams will now play three One-Day Internationals (ODI) and a Twenty20 international.

The first ODI will be held the Sher-e-Bangla on October 29.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.

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