In just 178.1 overs of action, 36 wickets fell during the Test, with spinners accounting for 30 of the dismissals. This marked the third-lowest number of balls bowled in a Test (1069) for that many wickets to fall. Southee expressed his disappointment with the pitch, stating that it heavily favored the bowlers and made for an uneven contest.
“It is probably the worst wicket I’ve come across in my career,” Southee said. “The balance between bat and ball was heavily favored into the bowler’s hands. I think for the match to be over in 170 overs sort of reflects that. So, for our guys to scrap away and then come away with the win was a big pleasure.
“I think it was just a scrappy Test match. It was obviously a tough wicket. Runs were hard to come by, and just those little moments and partnerships throughout were crucial, whereas in other matches, I guess when conditions are a little bit more even between bat and ball, they don’t get noticed as much.”
Shanto emphasized the importance of preparing wickets that provide an even balance between bat and ball, rather than heavily favoring one over the other. He acknowledged that the pitch in Sylhet for the first Test did not offer as much of a home advantage, as it was not particularly favorable to bowlers.
“It wasn’t a very helpful wicket for bowlers in Sylhet. Bowlers had to work hard for their wickets. There was a bit of help for both bowlers and batters,” Shanto said. “We didn’t bat well in Dhaka. We should have scored 230-240 runs in the first innings. The wicket seemed bad because we got 172. New ball was a challenge, but that’s also true anywhere around the world. It wasn’t anything different here, but we could have avoided this situation if we batted better in the first innings.”
