Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan took a maiden five-wicket haul to help Bangladesh gain an upper hand over New Zealand on the second day of the opening Test here on Saturday. The 21-year-old turned his left arm with magical effect to take 6-31, leaving the tourists reeling at 155-9 after Daniel Vettori took five wickets to shoot Bangladesh out for 245 in the first innings.
Vettori the batsman then held fort for the visitors as he went unbeaten on a pugnacious 48 with number ten Jeetan Patel falling in the last over of the day for nought, leaving the tourists 90 runs behind. "I am happy to have contributed with the ball," said Hasan, who skipped the tour of Australia last month because of college exams and is better known for his left-handed batting, though he only managed five runs here.
"I just bowled in the right areas and was rewarded. It's now up to us to not lose such a good chance of winning the Test." Hasan had Jamie How (16) and debutant Jesse Ryder (one) out in successive overs, before trapping Aaron Redmond (19) to wrestle back the initiative for the home team.