Phillips' stunning counterattack puts NZ just ahead before bad light stops play

Glenn Phillips provided a lesson on how to bat on a sharp turner, counterattacking his way to 87 off just 72 balls on the third day of the second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand. On a challenging pitch where almost every ball from the spinners was either turning square or keeping incredibly low, or both, Phillips had walked in at 46 for 5 on the first evening. His aggressive intent took New Zealand to 180, eight ahead of the hosts' first-innings total of 172

At stumps, Bangladesh were 38 for 2 in their second innings, 30 ahead of New Zealand. A late start and an early finish because of bad light meant only 32.3 overs were possible in the whole day.

Gloomy conditions in Dhaka forced a late start, with play on Friday beginning two and a half hours later than scheduled. This was after rain had washed out the entire second day. With New Zealand on 55 for 5, and trailing by 117, overnight batters Phillips and Daryl Mitchell played contrasting roles to thwart Bangladesh, who predictably had left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowling in tandem.

While Phillips seemed to be on the offensive as early as the second over of the day, Mitchell remained content to block. Often standing deep in the crease, Phillips slashed hard at deliveries that were even slightly short and outside off, and swung across the line against the ones that were full and in the line of the stumps.

In the second over of the day, he punched Mehidy for four to deep point, before slog-sweeping and driving him for further boundaries in the 16th. In between, he was beaten by Taijul twice while looking to push at deliveries that were turning away, even as the ball stayed low or skidded through.

But the conditions mattered little for Phillips. And despite Bangladesh having multiple fielders on the leg-side boundary - deep-backward square leg and deep midwicket were in place most of the time - he continued attacking. His first six came in the 18th over when Mehidy bowled one full on the pads, and he slog-swept it over deep square leg.

At the other end, Mitchell took a good stride forward to get to the pitch of the ball to defend the full deliveries. Even when he stepped out, he only looked to nudge them away. In the 20th over, he attempted a reverse sweep off Mehidy and the ball popped up to short leg. The on-field umpire ruled it in the batter's favour, and when Bangladesh reviewed it, replays showed the ball had hit Mitchell just below the left shoulder.

In the next over, Mitchell also had a slice of luck when he leaned into a drive against Taijul, got an outside edge and the ball fell just short of the slip fielder. Bangladesh introduced Nayeem Hasan into the attack from the other end. Phillips launched his first ball over deep-backward square leg for six, but three deliveries later, Nayeem got Mitchell.

With a mid-off in place, Mitchell stepped out to hit Nayeem over his head but didn't get the required distance. Mehidy, halfway back at long-on, ran across to his left and dived sideways to complete the catch. Mitchell fell for 18, ending a sixth-wicket stand of 49 off 60 balls with Phillips.

Nayeem also had Mitchell Santner nicking to slip in his second over, reducing New Zealand to 97 for 7. But Phillips kept going, with even umpire Rod Tucker not being spared. In the 26th over, he pulled one forcefully towards square leg where the ball hit Tucker just above his left knee. In the same over, he hit Nayeem for a six and a four. The boundary brought up his half-century, off just 38 balls.

He and Kyle Jamieson added 55 off only 53 deliveries, of which Jamieson contributed 20. Phillips and Tim Southee then took New Zealand past Bangladesh's total before the innings came to an end. The visitors' last five wickets smashed 134 runs at a run rate of 5.25, the highest for 100 or more runs for the last five wickets where the first five fell within 50 runs (where data is available).

Ajaz Patel then had Mahmudul Hasan Joy nicking to slip the third ball of Bangladesh's second innings. Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto stroked a few boundaries after that, before Shanto chipped Southee to mid-off in what turned out to be the penultimate ball of the day.