PHOTO: STAR

SPORTS REPORTER

“We weren’t expecting such a spinning track, so definitely it was a bit unexpected.” A member of the Bangladesh team management told The Daily Star on Sunday when asked about the pitch for the first ODI against New Zealand, which the hosts lost by 26 runs.

Ahead of the second match, ad-hoc committee president, Tamim Iqbal, inspected the surface. The pitch has remained under scrutiny since the series opener.

For Monday’s match, the surface appeared slightly greener and harder than the one used in the first game. In that match, deliveries tended to hold up, while there was sharp turn in the second innings -- something the Bangladesh team management had not anticipated.

New Zealand’s pace-bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith found assistance from the wicket in the first match, but noted similarities with pitches from Bangladesh’s recent series against Pakistan.

“I’d be surprised [if there is chest-high bounce], yeah. But I think that wicket out there, looks similar to what those Pakistan wickets looked like from what I could see on the footage. So I’d say there might be a little bit more pace in it,” he said.

Shoriful Islam, Bangladesh’s most successful bowler in that match, also admitted the conditions were tricky.

“When we play in Mirpur, a lot of the times we are proven wrong. It acted a little differently to what we expected but hoping we will do better,” he said.

Mirpur has long baffled both hosts and visitors. The heat further complicates matters, with cracks opening up and making conditions harder to read. Bangladesh will need to adapt quickly to whatever the surface offers in Monday’s second ODI.