Bangladeshis will need to learn quickly in NZ conditions

Bangladesh will have to improve their batting technique and mental approach in a hurry if they are to put up a good fight in the first Test against New Zealand starting at WestpacTrust Park in Hamilton next Tuesday.

Yesterday their batsmen laboured to a first innings total of 120 from 61.2 overs and found great difficulty making strong progress against a bustling Auckland medium-fast attack on a pitch that gave the bowlers plenty of swing and, early on, some seam movement.

Auckland spent the last two hours of a rather slow-paced day scoring 79 for the loss of the prized wickets of the Test batsmen, Mark Richardson (out for four in the first over) and Lou Vincent (15, and out in the 13th over).

Auckland put the Bangladeshis under some mental strain by making them bat first after Brooke Walker had won the toss - which promised to be just as vital as the bowling-first policy which brought their eight-wicket win over Central Districts on a similar pitch last month.

The Bangladeshis are not used to batting on a pitch covered with close-cropped grass, nor with a lush green outfield which sometimes turned fours into twos or threes.

However, the tourists had only themselves (or their ingrained batting habits) to blame for not making better use of a cool but clear day. Their openers Javed Omar and Al Sahariar did occupy the crease for close to an hour as Chris Drum and Kyle Mills, and later Andre Adams and Tama Canning tried to make use of the kind of pitch they would like to take on tour with them.

But they scored only 26 runs from 13 overs, and once Drum had Javed neatly taken by Vincent at third slip, the good work was undone when Habibul Bashar was out in the next over. From 29 for two wickets, the Bangladesh batsmen were pushed further and further onto the back foot, and the only batsman who showed attacking class and skill was the captain Khaled Mashud who scored 30 not out, but came in at No 8 when so much of the damage had already been done.

The Bangladeshis are novices in the hard world of Test cricket, and they must learn quickly. The root cause seems to be that the batsmen have become too involved in the high-risk stroke-play favoured in One-Day Internationals, and they are yet to learn the patience and solid innings-building of first-class or Test cricket especially on a pitch such as that which favoured the Auckland bowlers today.

Mashud has been mentioned as the best-looking of their batsman. Al Sahariar, the right-handed opener, played some handsome strokes in the first hour and looked a batsman of considerable potential.

Mohammad Ashraful, the teenage prodigy, had time for only one flashing boundary stroke before he nicked a ball from Adams, the fastest and most impressive of the Auckland bowlers. Ashraful and the man who followed him, Sanwar Hossain, were typical victims of their own impetuosity.

Ashraful was too free of stroke when the situation demanded a steady approach. Anwar simply blazed away with over-confident strokes that made his life merry, but short.

Drum finished with the best bowling figures 18-6-32-4, and Adams had three for 16 from 13 pin-point overs. He may find it hard to win a Test place, but Adams must be favoured to be on the short list for the one-dayers later in the season, for his sharp bowling and powerhouse batsmanship could turn a match.

Richardson faced only four balls, cllipping the first one for four, before edging down the leg-side. Perhaps it was a blessing for it gave him more time to rest his broken left thumb - an injury suffered when playing for New Zealand against South Australia last month, and which gave him considerable pain in the Hobart and Perth Tests against Australia.

Vincent played several bold and powerful shots, including the only six of the day, and his education would have been improved by the way he got himself dismissed - shouldering arms to the left-armer Manjurul Islam, and having the ball curl in and have him lbw.

Manjurul and Mohammad Sharif were busy and quite quick with the new ball, but Khaled Mahmud (medium pace) and Enamul Haque (slow left-arm) were not especially dangerous on the easy-paced pitch.

Matt Horne (34 not out) and rapidly-improving Aaron Barnes (18 not out), the men who batted Auckland to victory over Central Districts, were together at the end and they could help Auckland build a winning position tomorrow.