Call-up for Ravindra? Black Caps ponder changes for second Bangladesh test

ANALYSIS: Bangladesh effectively put a shock early end to New Zealand’s aims of defending their inaugural World Test Championship title at the start of 2022.

Now nearing the close of 2023, the same opposition have instantly put a huge dent in the Black Caps’ latest WTC campaign, with a 150-run victory in the first test in Sylhet.

Needing an extremely taxing 332 for victory in their second innings, New Zealand were dismissed for 181 in the opening session of the last day – before many Kiwi viewers had even settled down for their evening’s cricket fix.

The two sides meet again in the second and final test of the series starting in Mirpur on Wednesday, with the large looming questions being: should and will the visitors make any major adjustments to a side soundly beaten for the second time in the last three games between the combatants?

When New Zealand were stunned by Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval almost two years ago, the sole member of the losing team to get the chop for the second test was allrounder Rachin Ravindra.

In his home test debut, Ravindra was picked in the XI ahead of Daryl Mitchell, partly to be employed as NZ’s only spin option.

Batting at No7, the left-hander had scores of 4 and 16 and went wicket-less from his 28 overs to lose his spot for the next encounter in Christchurch and hasn’t been picked since.

Coming off an outstanding World Cup campaign, many thought he’d get the third spinner/No7 batting place ahead of Glenn Phillips for Sylhet, but the offspinner got the nod for just his second test.

Despite the traditionally conservative approach of the selection group, it now seems a case of taking your pick of who Ravindra could replace for the second test.

While it’s a change of formats from the ODIs he excelled at so recently, Ravindra’s first-class record with the bat – mostly as a top-order player – with six centuries and 12 fifties in 46 matches at an average of 38.77, in combination with his form in India and his undeniable class, makes him an even tougher-to-ignore proposition than at the start of the series.

It feels like Henry Nicholls’ place in the side has been up for debate – at least outside the selectors’ gatherings – ahead of every test match over recent seasons.

He didn’t help his cause in Sylhet – with scores of 19 and two – in an attempt to prove he’s capable of playing a major role overseas.

In 12 test matches in the subcontinent and the UAE, the 32-year-old left-hander averages 26.50, with one century and two fifties – compared to eight tons and eight half-centuries at home with an average of 48.11.

At the top of the order on day four, Devon Conway tried a string of ways to survive and accumulate – none of which appeared convincing.

The 32-year-old has played a full schedule of all three formats at international and franchise level throughout the year, and it’s possibly taken its toll.

While a number of the tourists looked to employ the reverse sweep to combat Bangladesh’s always probing spin attack, Kane Williamson went 205 balls in NZ’s first innings without playing one in accumulating his 29th test ton.

It was telling that Southee singled him

out in his post-match interview saying “We saw once guys got in like Kane, who was able to get in and play nicely... It’s just about being better for longer.”

It’s not simply recommended that each batter should pursue the same techniques as the most prolific batter in New Zealand test history, but only Williamson and Mitchell (who Southee also praised for his “lovely little innings” of 58 from 120 second innings balls) currently appear necessarily equipped to deal with the demands put on them.

Williamson was roundly beaten by an arm-ball from Taijul Islam in the second innings, and when he opted to review the lbw decision with a split-second remaining, it felt like his indispensable presence was worth even the most outlandish hope of a second chance, ahead of whatever fortune may befall other batters to follow.

Unfortunately for the side under the guidance of stand-in head coach Luke Ronchi, batting wasn’t their only problem.

There was a significant contrast in the effectiveness of the opposing side’s spin bowlers – Bangladesh’s tweakers took 18 wickets at an average of 23, while NZ’s trio returned 14 victims at 33.50.

Mitchell Santner has played just one test in the past three years – versus England at Lord’s in June 2021 – but he could come into the reckoning to replace legspinner Ish Sodhi, who had match figures in Sylhet of 3-145.

That would mean the bowling attack would contain three left-arm orthodox spinners, if Ravindra plays in place of Nicholls.

But accuracy and consistency may be more valued than variety, while Phillips will provide the option to take the ball away from the left-handers.