Life, in general, is unpredictable. Sport? Even more so.&nbsp;Take Cristiano Ronaldo&rsquo;s case, for instance. It was only months ago that he, at the age of 36, had found the back of the net 18 times in the Premier League, and ended the 2021/22 league campaign as United&rsquo;s top-scorer. There were times when it felt like playing for United was beneath him; that he deserved better.&nbsp;Months later, he&rsquo;s declined at the rate of knots, is clubless thanks to having thrown a needless public tantrum and is all set to finish his career in the Saudi League.&nbsp;So, we expected one thing; what ended up transpiring was entirely something else.That&rsquo;s precisely what we&rsquo;re going to cover in this piece: Expectations vs Reality. Except we&rsquo;re only going to look at a few extreme cases from the cricket world.#1 - The English Test side<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211516150-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> Expectation at the start of the year: For the side to drown in mediocrity, struggle with rebuilding&nbsp;Reality: &lsquo;Revolutionaries&rsquo;Truly wild. At the start of 2022, England, in Tests, were a hopeless unit. Heads rolled post the Ashes / Caribbean debacle (read: Silverwood, Root) and 2022 was hence supposed to be the year in which they rebuilt the side from scratch, prioritizing &lsquo;process&rsquo; over &lsquo;results&rsquo;.&nbsp;Look at where they are now. They&rsquo;ll be entering 2023 as the most devastating, in-form side in Tests, having won 9 in 10. They&rsquo;re already being dubbed revolutionaries for the utterly bonkers brand of cricket they&rsquo;ve been playing and we&rsquo;d all be lying if we said they&rsquo;re not the most entertaining side in world cricket.&nbsp;A couple of interesting sub-plots in this too: Jonny Bairstow and Brendon McCullum.Expectation for Bairstow at the start of the year: For him to be nowhere near the Test side. Reality? He ended up starting the friggin revolution!&nbsp;Expectation for McCullum at the start of the year: to be sacked by KKR. Reality? English media already have him in the GOAT debate.#2 - Dinesh Karthik<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211573063-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> Expectation at the start of the year: For DK to complete his transition from cricketer to full-time commentator&nbsp;Reality: DK enjoyed arguably his BEST EVER year and his comeback nearly turned out to be a fairytaleWell, we all laughed last year when DK said that he still had international ambitions. Lesson learnt, I suppose. Though it&rsquo;s truly a shame that his comeback didn&rsquo;t quite end memorably, with him being dropped mid-way through the World Cup.#3 - The Pakistan Test side<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211664357-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> Expectation at the start of the year: Home dominance, for them to make the WTC finalReality:&nbsp; 0 home wins in 6 Tests, seventh in the WTC table below England and West IndiesThe biggest shock of the year, perhaps? Just who would have thought in January that Pakistan would go on to win a grand total of ZERO Tests against Australia and England at home, and would get WHITEWASHED by England. No, really. Imagine saying this out loud 12 months ago.&nbsp;#4 - New Zealand vs Bangladesh (two-Test series)<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211719620-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> Expectation at the start of the year: For New Zealand to win 2-0, break records left, right and center and hand Bangladesh a humiliation of a lifetimeReality:&nbsp;Series drawn 1-1, Bangladesh becoming the first side in five years to win a Test in New ZealandForget whatever was written in the description below the previous heading. THIS, right here, was the single biggest shock of the year. Bangladesh, of all teams, broke New Zealand&rsquo;s unbeaten run at home.&nbsp;Here was the single-worst traveling team in Tests, probably ever, touring the most dominant side in home conditions. Heading into the series, Bangladesh had won a grand total of 3 away Tests in the preceding 12 years, while the Kiwis had won 13 and lost none at home. NONE. In five years.And yeah, as it panned out, it was Bangladesh who put an end to the unbeaten run, scripting a remarkable 8-wicket win in Mount Maunganui.Arguably the single biggest upset in Test history.&nbsp;#5 - Alex Hales<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211776605-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">&nbsp;Expectation at the start of the year: For Hales to say &lsquo;enough is enough&rsquo; and announce his international retirement&nbsp;Reality: T20 World Cup championThis is not as wild as the Neal Maupay-Emi Martinez story but in order for Alex Hales to make a return to the England side, Eoin Morgan had to retire, Rob Key had to be appointed Managing Director, Jason Roy had to go woefully out of form and Jonny Bairstow had to get injured.&nbsp;Yeah of course, ALL OF THIS happened, in the perfect series of events.&nbsp;Talk about being destiny&rsquo;s favorite child.&nbsp;#6 - Cameron Green<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211843140-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> Expectation at the start of the year: For Green to set aside T20s to focus on the other two formats, predominantly TestsReality: Second-most expensive player in IPL historySo, Cam Green&rsquo;s story goes something like this. Australia took him to India for three T20Is just for the heck of it &mdash; his selection wasn&rsquo;t through merit, he averaged 13.5 with the bat prior to the selection and had batted only 10 times &mdash; he had fun swinging his bat for a couple of nights and BOOM, next thing he knows, he&rsquo;s become a multi-millionaire in the span of a couple of months.Funny how &nbsp;̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶s̶ IPL franchises work, huh?&nbsp;#7 - Rohit Sharma<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211901156-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> Expectation at the start of the year: Rohit will &lsquo;expose&rsquo; Kohli&rsquo;s captaincy and land India an ICC trophy&nbsp;Reality: India endure their worst all-format year in ages, majority of the Indian fanbase end up turning on RohitPretty self-explanatory, isn&rsquo;t it? It took Rohit Sharma less than a year to realize that Indian captaincy is nothing but poisoned chalice. It&rsquo;ll be highly surprising if, this time next year, Rohit continues to captain India in more than one format.&nbsp;#8 - Mohammed Rizwan in Tests<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1672211986089-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> Expectation at the start of the year: Potential Babar Azam successor in red-ball cricketReality: Dropped and replaced by 35-year-old Sarfaraz AhmedSo, Rizwan entered 2022 having averaged 50.78 across his previous 12 Tests. He was unanimously considered the second best wicket-keeper batter in the world behind Rishabh Pant &mdash; and rightly so, having also proven himself in SENA conditions &mdash; and with a flurry of home matches to follow, nearly everyone expected him to reach an even higher level.Well, as we speak, he&rsquo;s warming the bench in Karachi, his place in the side taken by his, erm, predecessor, 35-year-old Sarfaraz Ahmed.&nbsp;Rizwan&rsquo;s axe came about after he endured a 12-innings period in which he averaged 21.83, passing 50 zero times. Harsh, you could say. But his form and confidence as a red-ball batter undeniably fell off a cliff.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Indeed, it is funny when predictions go absurdly wrong! 

Alex Hales

Mohammad Rizwan

Joe Root

Ben Stokes

Brendon McCullum

Rohit Sharma

Dinesh Karthik

Cameron Green

ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Australia, 2022

Bangladesh tour of New Zealand, 2022

India

England

Pakistan

Bangladesh

New Zealand

Expectation vs Reality: how Cricket surprised us in 2022

Bangladesh were thumped by an innings and 117 runs in the second Test at Christchurch, but skipper Mominul Haque believes that there are plenty of positives for his side to take from the series as the Tigers approach a gruelling year that will see them tour South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.Bangladesh were written off even before a single ball in the New Zealand series had been bowled, but they produced one of the biggest upsets in Test history at Bay Oval by shocking the hosts, registering a thumping 8-wicket win on the back of a special team performance that saw nearly every individual make a significant contribution.Mominul believes that, going forward, the victory in Mount Maunganui will do a world of good to Bangladesh&rsquo;s belief in Tests away from home.&quot;I got the captaincy at a very tough moment. I always dreamed of winning against big teams. But that belief has to be visible. I think winning the first Test match was important for us to believe on our capability of winning overseas,&#39;&#39; Mominul told reporters at the end of the series.&#39;&#39;We will one day win a Test series abroad. So getting that belief, for myself, the team and even for you (media) was a significant step. &#39;There are many positives (from this series) and I always stress on a combined team effort, which I always believe brings us wins.&#39;&#39;A lot of challenges await us as a team this year. Everyone, including the opponents, assumed that we couldn&#39;t do well abroad. This series will create more of an awareness about us.&#39;&#39;We have Test series against South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies (in the next six months). It won&#39;t be easy for us. We have to accept the challenges, and continue well.&rdquo;A strong bowling performance in the first innings set up the win at Bay Oval, but in Christchurch, despite winning the toss on a green top, the Tigers&rsquo; bowlers disappointed, conceding a staggering 521 runs in just under 130 overs. The mammoth first innings total emboldened the New Zealand bowlers, who bowled Bangladesh out under 300 twice (126 and 278) to register an innings win.Mominul admitted that his side lost the plot with the ball, but also took responsibility for not delivering with the bat.&quot;We couldn&#39;t bowl up to the mark in this Test. We batted poorly in the first innings. Only Yasir Ali Rabbi made a fifty and Sohan made a forty. &#39;I should have stepped up as the senior player and captain.&rdquo;The sole shining light in the match was the batting of Liton Das, who struck a sizzling century in the second innings to extend his good run of form. Liton is now averaging over 50 in Tests since 2020.Mominul was full of praise for the flamboyant right-hander, whose batting has hit new heights in the past 18 months.&quot;He [Liton] is technically very sound. He gets a lot of time like world-class players. He always ensures he scores off the bad balls. He waits for a long time for the bad balls, and then took the toll. He has scored two centuries in consecutive series. Everyone, including myself, was really enjoying his batting.&rdquo;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The Bangladesh skipper believes his side definitely has the potential to win a series overseas

Mominul Haque

Liton Das

Plenty of positives to positives to take from New Zealand series: Mominul

New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson was on Tuesday fined 15 per cent of his match fee for using &quot;inappropriate language&quot; after dismissing Yasir Ali during the just-concluded second Test against Bangladesh in Christchurch.According to an ICC statement, Jamieson was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to &quot;using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.&quot;In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Jamieson, for whom it was the third offence in a 24-month period, taking his cumulative demerit points to three.Jamieson&#39;s previous breaches were on March 23, 2021 during an ODI against Bangladesh in Christchurch, and on December 28, 2020 in a Test match against Pakistan in Tauranga.The incident occurred in the 41st over of Bangladesh&#39;s first innings on Monday, when Jamieson used inappropriate language after dismissing Yasir Ali, the ICC stated.Jamieson admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Jeff Crowe and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the COVID-19 interim playing regulations.On-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Wayne Knights, third umpire Chris Brown and fourth umpire Shaun Haig levelled the charge.Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player&#39;s match fee, and one or two demerit points.New Zealand won the second Test against Bangladesh by an innings and 117 runs to level the series and hand a befitting farewell to veteran batter Ross Taylor, who retired from the red-ball format on Tuesday after having represented the Kiwis 112 matches.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The 27-year-old took 6 wickets in the game after a tough outing in Mount Maunganui 

Kyle Jamieson

Jamieson fined for using inappropriate language during 2nd Test against Bangladesh

A wicket with the final delivery of his Test career along with a series-levelling win over Bangladesh, veteran New Zealand batter Ross Taylor couldn&#39;t have asked for a more befitting farewell after a 15-year-long journey in red-ball cricket and the star agreed it was &quot;great&quot;.A talisman of New Zealand cricket, Taylor ended his Test career by dismissing Ebadot Hossain to help the hosts beat Bangladesh by an innings and 117 runs to level the series 1-1 here on Tuesday.&quot;It&#39;s great to finish off your career with a win and a wicket, I wanted to finish off with a win and the guys did it. Bangladesh put us under a lot of pressure a number of times, it&#39;s only fair that we share the series,&quot; an emotional Taylor told the official broadcasters after the match.After the fall of Bangladesh&#39;s ninth wicket, the crowd present at the Hagley Oval chanted for Taylor to be given the ball and New Zealand skipper Tom Latham obliged.&nbsp;The 37-year-old veteran of 112 Tests couldn&#39;t have imagined a better end to his five-day career by inducing a false shot from Hossain with only his third ball and Latham did the rest to give Taylor only his third Test wicket.Taylor&#39;s previous two victims were Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth during New Zealand&#39;s tour of India in 2010. Taylor had previously bowled only 16 overs in his entire Test career -- the last time being eight years ago.&quot;The series was great I was wondering if we need to come back tomorrow, but the boys were fantastic. It became a bit funky towards the end, I chunked it up and Tom (Latham) said it was the most precious thing I did over the whole game,&quot; Taylor said about the wicket.&quot;I have thoroughly enjoyed representing my country, have played a lot here (in Christchurch), spent a lot of time and it&#39;s a great way to finish,&quot; he added.Taylor, a former New Zealand captain, was accorded a standing ovation by the crowd. He was presented the match ball and was given a guard of honour by the Bangladeshi players.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

A talisman of New Zealand cricket, Taylor ended his Test career by dismissing Ebadot Hossain to help the hosts beat Bangladesh 

Ross Taylor

Was great to finish off career with win and a wicket, says emotional Taylor

New Zealand wrapped up the second Test against Bangladesh by an innings and 117 runs, with Ross Taylor taking the final wicket in a fairytale finish to square the two-Test series in Christchurch on Tuesday (January 11).&nbsp;Liton Das cracked a gallant 102 off 111 deliveries for Bangladesh but it was nowhere near enough with the tourists dismissed in their second innings for 278 after being forced to follow on 385 runs behind.The top order put up gritty resistance in reaching 123 for three, while Liton shared a century partnership for the sixth wicket with Nurul Hasan. &nbsp;But there was no fight in the tail as New Zealand, the reigning World Test champions, completed a much-needed win after being comprehensively beaten by eight wickets in the first Test.The 37-year-old Taylor, New Zealand&#39;s elder statesman playing his 112th and final Test, had a rare bowl at the end and took the final wicket with Ebadot Hossain caught by Tom Latham for four. It was a fitting farewell for Taylor, who bowed out of red-ball cricket with a New Zealand record 7,683 runs to his name and 37th in the all-time list of the sport&#39;s most prolific run-getters.&nbsp;<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">What a way to finish the Test! <a href="https://twitter.com/RossLTaylor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RossLTaylor</a> takes his THIRD Test wicket to finish the Test inside 3 days at Hagley Oval. We finish the series 1-1 with <a href="https://twitter.com/BCBtigers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCBtigers</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvBAN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvBAN</a> <a href="https://t.co/2GaL0Ayapr">pic.twitter.com/2GaL0Ayapr</a>&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/1480770279630512131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Bangladesh were sunk in their second innings by the bounce of Neil Wagner, who took three for 77, while Kyle Jamieson finished with four for 82. But the foundations for the victory were laid by captain Latham with his 252 to set up New Zealand&#39;s mammoth first-innings 521 for six declared.&nbsp;The Bangladesh bowlers failed to capitalise on the green wicket, after winning the toss and putting New Zealand into bat, and when Bangladesh batted the New Zealand pace pair Trent Boult and Tim Southee showed how to use the conditions.&nbsp;With swing and seam to the fore, the innings was all over in 41.2 overs for 126 with Boult taking 5 for 43 and Southee 3 for 28. When Bangladesh were sent in to bat again, New Zealand produced the third weapon in their bowling armoury, short-ball specialist Wagner.After Jamieson removed Shadman Islam (21), Wagner entered the action with a short ball to Najmul Hossain Shanto (29) that was hooked to Boult on the fine-leg boundary. Debutant Mohammad Naim made a cautious 24 off 98 balls before he fell to Southee and then Wagner was back in the action.Skipper Mominul Haque had reached 37 when Wagner switched to a full delivery which was edged to Taylor at first slip. Yasir Ali, who scored 55 in the first innings, was on two when he fended at a rising Wagner delivery and the ball lobbed to Latham at second slip.&nbsp;Jamieson, who struggled with his line in the losing Test, won by Bangladesh by eight wickets, was much sharper in Christchurch, removing Mehidy Hasan and Liton to go with the wicket of Shadman.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Liton Das cracked a gallant 102 off 111 deliveries for Bangladesh but it was nowhere near enough

Neil Wagner

Fairytale end as Taylor seals New Zealand win over Bangladesh

Trent Boult bagged five wickets as Bangladesh were rolled for 126 in reply to New Zealand&#39;s mammoth 521/6 (declared) in the second Test on Monday.The last wicket fell in the final over of the day in Christchurch as the Bangladesh innings ended inside a session and a half, to leave them 395 in arrears. After two days the hosts look well on course for the victory they need to draw the two-match series after losing the first Test by eight wickets.&nbsp;New Zealand made batting look easy after being sent in on a green wicket with opener Tom Latham in the middle for more than nine hours for his 252, while Devon Conway added 109 and Tom Blundell was 57 not out.&nbsp;When the Black Caps declared, pace bowlers Boult and Tim Southee then showed how to move the ball on a verdant surface as they ripped through the Bangladesh line-up. Boult put the difference down to local knowledge.&quot;That&#39;s the beauty of Test cricket, the little subtleties that come with different grounds,&quot; he said. &quot;The wicket obviously offers a little bit of bounce with a bit of grass on it. It&#39;s all about the length here, of us getting them on the front foot and encouraging them to drive down the ground ... pitching the ball up and hopefully we can get 10 (wickets) pretty quickly again.&quot;Boult ended with 5 for 43 while Southee took 3 for 28. Only two relative Test novices, Yasir Ali and Nurul Hasan, provided any resistance. Yasir, in his third Test, made 55 while Nurul was out for 41 in his fifth appearance.&quot;Of course we&#39;re disappointed,&quot; Bangladesh batting coach Ashwell Prince said. &quot;If we can learn something from the Kiwis batting on day one it was that they left a lot more balls outside the off stump. The Kiwis got it swinging as well today and bowled really well and made it tough for our guys.&quot;The tourists lost their first four wickets for only 11 runs inside seven overs and were then 27 for five before Yasir and Nurul put together a 60-run partnership. In a whirlwind start, Boult had Shadman Islam (seven) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (four) both caught by Latham at second slip while Southee bowled debutant Mohammad Naim and captain Mominul Haque without scoring.&nbsp;The fifth wicket fell in the first over after tea when Boult had Liton Das caught behind for eight. Southee came back to break up the Yasir-Nurul partnership with a ball that nipped back sharply on Nurul to trap him lbw. Boult became the fourth New Zealander to take 300 Test wickets when he bowled Mehidy Hasan for five to join Richard Hadlee, Daniel Vettori and Southee.Kyle Jamieson removed Taskin Ahmed cheaply and Yasir before Boult finished off the innings bowling Shoriful Islam. Latham&#39;s two slip catches came after his marathon innings, the second double-century of his career. He faced 373 deliveries, with 34 fours and two sixes, and the innings only coming to an end when he went in search of quick runs ahead of the declaration.&nbsp;He smacked a six, four and another six off successive Mominul Haque deliveries but then mistimed another big hit off Bangladesh captain and part-time spinner to be caught at square leg. Conway, resuming the day on 99, brought up his hundred with a four off the first ball but was run out soon after with the score on 363 to end a 215-run second-wicket partnership with Latham.New Zealand&#39;s elder statesman Ross Taylor, playing his 112th and final Test, received a guard of honour on his way to the middle from the Bangladesh players and was quickly into his trademark strokes, with boundaries from a cover drive and a cut. But on 28 he was caught by Shoriful Islam at square-leg off Ebadot Hossain. Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell followed soon after.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Bangladesh were dismissed for just 126 in reply to New Zealand's mammoth 521/6

Tom Latham

Trent Boult

Devon Conway

Yasir Ali

Latham, Boult dismantle Bangladesh on day two

Bangladesh bowling coach Ottis Gibson felt that the Bangladesh bowlers were unable to replicate their performance from the historic first Test win in the second Test at Hagley Oval. On day one, New Zealand dominated the visiting bowlers as they finished 349/1 at stumps.&quot;I think they have played really well. We couldn&#39;t hit the heights of last week. I thought Latham played really well. He left a lot of good balls early this morning. He made us bowl to him. Unfortunately, we didn&#39;t bowl enough good balls to create the sort of pressure we created last week. Conway is in unbelievable form,&quot; Gibson said at the end of day&#39;s play.Tom Latham is not out on 186 while Devon Conway is just one run away from his century. Gibson felt that the green top at Christchurch didn&#39;t offer much seam movement.&quot;The pitch didn&#39;t do as much as we expected. But we didn&#39;t bowl as well as we could have done either. When we bowled full, there wasn&#39;t a lot of seam movement. We have to learn from today. We bowled too many four-balls and too many balls wide outside the off-stump. When we missed our lengths, we got cut or got too full to be driven,&quot;Gibson felt that a strong reaction from the Black Caps was expected as the first Test defeat halted their undefeated streak 17 home Tests.&quot;Today, we saw the highs and lows of international sport. Last week, we were on a high. We are perhaps still feeling the effects of last week&#39;s emotional and physical investment. We didn&#39;t hit our straps. New Zealand would have been hurting from last week. They showed why they are one of the best teams in the world. They applied themselves. They left a lot better. They showed us why they are holding the mace at the moment.&quot;New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi was pleased with the performance on the first day, a far cry from their unconvincing batting efforts in the first Test.&quot;A massive part of it was to do the basics well and right for a long period of time. We did it quite well at Mount Maunganui, but we let ourselves down in periods that brought Bangladesh back into the game. We did it for the whole day today. The guys were amazing.Ronchi said that the Kiwi batters did the basics right which helped them put on a big total in the first innings.&#39;&#39;We know from the last few seasons that we can put some good totals on the board batting on green surfaces. We had to do our basics well... leaving the ball well. When the ball is there (to be hit), we had to score off them as well. It puts pressure on the opposition bowling to change their plans and try different things.&quot;Ronchi hailed skipper Latham&#39;s temperament, who managed score of 1 and 14 in the first Test, for his strong comeback on Sunday.&quot;Leading into the series, his (Latham) mindset has been amazing. We had some work between Tests. What we saw today was amazing. You will get a bit of luck on green surfaces but also you have make the most of it. Some of his drives... the sound it made off the bat was awesome.&quot;I have seen some amazing innings from him in all formats. He had the temperament and confidence through the work he put in between Tests. His numbers as a New Zealand opener are fantastic. He is a good leader in the group.&quot;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Bangladesh bowling coach Ottis Gibson felt that the bowlers didn't bowl enough wicket-taking deliveries to the New Zealand batters

Bangladesh couldn't hit the heights of first Test: Gibson

Tom Latham was closing in on a double century as New Zealand reached 349 for 1 at stumps to defy Hagley Oval&#39;s grim reputation for batters on day one of the second Test against Bangladesh in Christchurch on Sunday (January 9).&nbsp;The New Zealand captain was unbeaten on 186 with Devon Conway on 99 as the Black Caps scored at will on a ground reputed to be a bowler&#39;s paradise on day one. New Zealand, desperate for a win to save the series after losing the first Test, have defied the green surface and been in control ever since they lost the toss and were sent into bat.Latham and Conway have put on 201 for the second wicket after Latham and Will Young (54) produced a 148-run stand for the first wicket. &nbsp;Hagley Oval requires bowlers to maintain a good line and length to deliver wickets on its verdant surface, and Bangladesh were guilty of straying too often.Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Ebadot Hossain fed New Zealand a diet of loose deliveries and as a result Bangladesh spent the day chasing the ball to the boundary at a ground were the average first innings score is 263.Latham, who disappointed in the first Test with innings of one and 14, progressed at a consistent rate with his first 50 taking 65 deliveries, the second 68 and the third 66. &nbsp;His unbeaten 186 includes 28 fours, while Conway has 10 fours and a six in his 99.The hundred moved Latham up to fourth on the list of New Zealand century-makers headed by Kane Williamson with 24. &nbsp;The only time he was troubled was in Ebadot Hossain&#39;s opening over when he was twice given out lbw only for the dismissals to be overturned on review.&nbsp;Bangladesh appealed vociferously late in the day for Latham to be caught behind, but replays showed the ball missed the bat. &nbsp;After toiling fruitlessly through the morning session, Bangladesh missed a chance for a wicket in the first over after lunch in what turned out to be a seven-run farce.&nbsp;A Will Young edge off Ebadot was dropped by Liton Das at third slip allowing New Zealand to run for three. As the bowler and fieldsmen expressed their frustration, the return throw went to the bowler&#39;s end where no one was backing up and the ball raced through to the boundary.&nbsp;Much to Ebadot&#39;s annoyance, Young scored a five in his next over when he took a quick single and Mehidy Hasan&#39;s throw at the stumps from mid-wicket raced to the fence again.&nbsp;Young was to make a further 21 runs before an attempted drive was grasped by Mohammad Naim at point to give Shoriful Islam the first and only wicket.Brief scores:New Zealand 349 for 1 (Tom Latham 186*, Devon Conway 99*; Shoriful Islam 1 for 50) vs BangladeshPowered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The duo have added over 200 runs for the second wicket so far

Latham, Conway headline New Zealand's dominant day in Christchurch

18th June 2021: The stage was set for two of the most dominating sides in the longest format of the game to lock horns in the summit clash of the inaugural edition of the World Test championship.&nbsp;While the first day was washed out courtesy of relentless showers, after five riveting days of cricket, it all boiled down to the final session of the day with the Kiwis reeling at 44 for the loss of two wickets in pursuit of 139 when Ross Taylor walked in to take centre stage.&nbsp;On a tricky surface against a lethal Indian bowling unit, Taylor steadied the ship by accumulating the ones and the twos to keep the scoreboard ticking.&nbsp;With three runs required to win the coveted trophy, Taylor flicked Mohammad Shami for a boundary to carve New Zealand&rsquo;s name in the history books.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/image.cricket.com/articles/034bc92f16495ef1ade3b19166929535a4ea4e58.png" style="width: 600px; margin: 5px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In over 17 years of his international career filled with plenty of ebbs and flows, Taylor and the Kiwis finally were crowned champions in a world event after their consistent performances at the international level.&nbsp;&quot;To be out there in a crucial situation is something I&#39;ll never forget. This would have to be the highlight of my career. The 2019 World Cup was very tough for us at the time, but this makes up for that,&quot; he said, referring to the heart-wrenching loss in the final at the Lord&rsquo;s.&nbsp;Despite the stutter, the Black Caps produced dominant performance across formats with Kane Williamson and Taylor at the forefront.&nbsp;With the 37-year old set to bid adieu to international cricket at the conclusion of the home summer, the ongoing Bangladesh Test at home is the last hurrah in international cricket.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1476339755184902145&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2Fross-taylor-the-man-you-know-the-legacy-you-dont-1641687294960&sessionId=d20ad43e4b685fff7b36498c80ace3c159bc484a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=9fd78d5%3A1638479056965&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1476339755184902145"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>After an agonising loss against the Tigers in the first Test of the series, the Kiwis will hope to find their mojo and give a fitting farewell to one of the legends of the game.&nbsp;A young boy, part of Samoan descent, growing up in a little village, scripted an incredible chapter in the history of New Zealand cricket. However, cricket was not the only choice for Taylor in his childhood days as he juggled between the hockey field and the green outfields.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/image.cricket.com/articles/cb074e5a7ed6f777098e41bca27be21053fbc985.png" style="width: 600px; margin: 5px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Well, precisely the reason why Taylor&rsquo;s slog sweep is regarded as one of the best in the world as hours of gruelling sessions on the hockey field ensured he mastered that art.&nbsp;Over the course of his career, the consistency of Taylor and his sheer grit and determination resulted in numerous records being broken and history being rewritten time and again.&nbsp;1st March 2006: A day Taylor and his family will never forget as he made his maiden appearance at the international level in an ODI game against the Windies at Napier. While the game did not go the way he would have envisioned after being caught short of his crease for 15 runs, in his ten-ball stay at the wicket, he showcased glimpses of great things to follow for New Zealand and the world of cricket.&nbsp;After 17 years at the highest level, Taylor is the leading run-scorer for the New Zealand side in the red-ball format with 7655 runs in 195 innings at an average of 44.77.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/image.cricket.com/articles/5ef5db8dc6ffa46116f774f040f7f0989517995f.png" style="width: 600px; margin: 5px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Despite a slow start to his international career, Taylor has been a vital cog in the middle order of the Black Caps and forged a crucial partnership with Kane Williamson. With 3786 runs in 74 innings at an average of 57.4, the duo have shouldered the bulk of the responsibility of the side in the middle order.&nbsp;However, one of the most disheartening things is the lack of credit given to the 37-year old despite his heroics at the international level.&nbsp;In the modern era, the world of cricket is full of comparisons between some of the top batters in the world like Joe Root, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith. However, we seldom find Taylor&#39;s name in the mix despite being one of the most prolific performers across formats.&nbsp;And just as we speak about formats, here is a little something that will surprise you as Taylor is the first player ever in the history of the sport to play 100 matches across all formats.&nbsp;The only blemish in the glorious international career was the captaincy saga in 2012 that caused Taylor to step aside from the game for a brief period. While for most of the people, it would have probably seemed like the end of a glittering career, but not for Taylor.&nbsp;He returned to the fold bruised but not destroyed and scored 866 runs in 17 innings at an average of 72.16 in Tests, which is his best after relinquishing captaincy to Brendon McCullum.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/image.cricket.com/articles/b7639fe8eba25a8f551f1fad3b6c69937ef7e962.png" style="width: 600px; margin: 5px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> With the weight of captaincy off his shoulders, he produced dominating performances and, over time, enthralled the fans with 40 international hundred across all formats, the most by any Kiwi player.&nbsp;However, this is not the not century he has to his name as Taylor is one of the safest pair of hands in the slip cordon in this era.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/image.cricket.com/articles/b069df2d6a98513f9eb86a2fd67f263ea8acd39b.png" style="width: 600px; margin: 5px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">With wickets conducive for swing bowling at home, Taylor has accounted for 116 catches, the fourth-best on the list of players with the most catches.&nbsp;And just like all good things come to an end, this Test match will mark the end of a phenomenal career of one of the most underrated players in the game.&nbsp;After being a game down, New Zealand will have to produce a clinical performance to overcome the spirited Tigers to level the series and give Taylor a fitting farewell. &nbsp;&quot;If you look at it from a neutral point of view, I think it was good for world cricket, &quot; he said ahead of the Test match, referring to the loss a couple of days ago at Mount Maunganui.&nbsp;Through the troughs and crests, he diligently went about his business and accumulated thousands of runs silently, and now, he bids adieu to the game in a manner only he could have done.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Tribute to the man who changed the fortunes of New Zealand cricket with his uncanny technique and fearless approach 

Kane Williamson

Ross Taylor: The man you know, the legacy you don't

Bangladesh veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim is unlikely to play in the second Test against New Zealand due to a groin injury, according to a report by Cricbuzz.A team official confirmed that wicketkeeper batter Nurul Hasan is the likely to replace Rahim if the 34-year old fails to clear the fitness test.&quot;He is carrying a groin injury and chances are slim regarding his participation in the second Test against New Zealand,&quot; the team official said. &quot;In the morning our physio will have a look at him before we make a final call but if he fails to make it to the XI in that case Nurul is front runner to replace him.&quot;Bangladesh will face New Zealand in the second Test at the Hagley Oval starting from Sunday and will aim to win their maiden series in the country. They lead the series 1-0 after beating the Black Caps at the Bay Oval.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Wicketkeeper batter Nurul Hasan is the likely replacement for the veteran batter

BANGLADESH TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND 2022

Bangladesh tour of New Zealand, 2022 | home

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