New Zealand skipper showers praises on Phillps, Santner for remarkable performance on challenging surface

Dhaka : New Zealand Test skipper Tim Southee praised Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner for their rollicking knocks in the second Test against Bangladesh on a challenging surface where wickets were falling.

On a surface that was assisting spinners, Mitchell and Santner displayed a mix of composure as well as aggression to power the Kiwis to a four-wicket victory and end the series on level terms.

After the victory, Southee talked about the tricky surface and heaped praise on both batters for playing their game despite the various challenges on the surface.

“It was a bit of scrape there, nice to come out on the right side of it. The guys just trusted the way they play. If you look at the likes of Glenn Phillips and Mitch Santner, it was more of an attacking style to some of the others. Just trusting their games and on this surface, you can still play your way. At times, especially in the first innings, Bangladesh showed it as well,” Southee said.

“It was one of those wickets, it was a matter of time before one had your name on it. Credit goes to the guys for trusting their styles. Glenn Phillips, in the first innings, kept us in the match. It’s not easy when expectations are for things to happen quickly. The bowlers stuck to their plans. Ajaz coming away with a six-fer is a great reward for that. Nice to win, especially on a surface like that,” Southee added.

On the other hand, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto commended his bowlers and admitted that they had the opportunity to shift the tide in their favour but failed to do so.

“The bowlers did a great job, all four bowlers bowled well. Very proud how everyone chipped in the field. First match, we played really good cricket, it gives us a lot of confidence. This match we had our opportunities, we couldn’t take them. Hope we learn from this match and we play some good cricket. The players are ready (for the upcoming series in New Zealand), the ODI players are practising, I hope everyone plays some good cricket there,” Shanto said after the game.