Taylor ends Test career with final wicket as New Zealand square series

New Zealand gave Ross Taylor a memorable farewell from Test cricket with an innings and 117-run win against Bangladesh in Christchurch inside three days. Taylor, with his family in attendance at the Hagley Oval, took the last wicket when Tom Latham held his sixth catch in the match, from a miscued slog by Ebadot Hossain.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 278 in their second innings while following on, with four wickets for Kyle Jamieson and three for Neil Wagner. But it was Litton Das' counter-attack in the third session, which resulted in his second Test hundred, that was the cricketing highlight of the day. The visitors were far from replicating their miraculous eight-wicket win in the Mount Maunganui Test last week. Nonetheless, they would go home proud of the entertainment they provided in the Test series. For the first time in New Zealand, they played like equals in Tests.  

This was reflected in the manner they batted after tea on Tuesday. The only concern at the start of the session was whether there would be enough time for New Zealand to complete the win on the third day. Bangladesh couldn't quite get close to making New Zealand bat again, but what was to follow was tremendous batting.

Litton, who took 46 balls to score his first boundary, had reached 33 off 64 balls when he changed the mood at the Hagley Oval. He struck 17 runs off Jamieson in the 59th over, hitting him for two fours and an upper-cut six. Both fours were pulled, dissecting a packed on-side field. He then struck four boundaries off Trent Boult with some scrumptious shots. After getting to his half-century off a guided four through point, he drove Boult through mid-off, cover and straight down the ground, arguably his best shot of the innings.

Litton had taken 35 runs off 12 balls and the sixth-wicket partnership crossed the 100 mark. Nurul Hasan only needed to hold one end. Instead he holed out to mid-off where Wagner took a diving catch to his left. It was reminiscent of his shot in the second innings of the Chattogram Test in November, when he also needed to support Litton at a critical phase against Pakistan.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz followed after seven overs, when Latham took his fifth catch in the slips in the match, off Jamieson. Litton however continued towards his second Test hundred, hammering Wagner with the last of his pulled fours. Next ball, Litton swatted him over the covers after Wagner had a few things to say to him.

Another ramped four and a quickly-run two, off Jamieson, took Litton to the three-figure mark. He saluted his dressing room a la Ebadot Hossain. Jamieson however got Litton in the end, getting one to scissor past his straight bat, to get him lbw. He added a fourth when Southee ran back from mid-on to complete Shoriful Islam's catch.

Following on by 395 runs, Bangladesh had started their second innings very cautiously. The openers Shadman Islam and Mohammad Naim left more deliveries against the new ball. But after 55 minutes, Shadman got caught down the leg-side off Jamieson.

Najmul Hossain Shanto spent an eventful hour at the crease thereafter, hitting Wagner for three fours and a six. But it was the left-arm quick who had the last laugh in that mini battle, Shanto getting caught at fine-leg where Boult took a tumbling catch.

Debutant Naim's vigil of two hours and 40 minutes ended when Latham took a brilliant catch diving to his left from second slip. Tim Southee had Mominul Haque caught at first slip, giving Taylor his 163rd catch in his last Test. Yasir Ali was targeted with the short ball in his nine-ball stay, finally ending when he got into a tangle against Wagner.

The visitors would have felt the full pressure of New Zealand's four-man pace attack if not for the Litton and Nurul counter-attack, giving them more reason to look forward to their next tour of New Zealand.