DHAKA, Dec 4, 2023 (BSS)- New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sohdi believes they

have got a blueprint of how to thrive in this condition amid their
disappointing 150-run defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test in Sylhet.

He expects that they will now devise a plan after reviewing this blueprint
and will be able to execute it properly in the second and final Test, slated
to begin from Wednesday, to avoid a Test series defeat at the hands of
Bangladesh for the first time in their history.

"(It is) obviously tough to come out on the losing side in that first game in
Sylhet but I think as the Test sort of progressed we sort of found a bit more
rhythm," Sodhi said today following their first practice session at Sher-e-
Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

"I think the way that Bangladesh played, they certainly outplayed us, but
upon reflection, I think they gave us a blueprint on what's successful in
these conditions, and hopefully we can apply that to this next Test match."

One of the key reasons of New Zealand's defeat in the first Test was their
lackluster effort against the spinners. Barring Kane Williamson and to some
extent Daryl Mitchell, everyone surrendered almost meekly. Mirpur pitch will
pose a stern challenge for them, considering it tends to favour the spinners
more.

Sodhi, however, relied on their experienced campaigners to get back to their
best, neutralizing the spinners effort.

"You know, off the back of a loss, but with the experienced heads here, you
know, we've been there, we've done that, we know how to sort of apply
ourselves into the next games, and hopefully that's something that we can
commit to really well and, yeah, apply to this next game," he said.

With Bangladesh on the brink of a historical Test series win, it is expected
that a large number of crowds will gather Mirpur to inspire the Bangladesh
cricketers.

"I suppose there's a bigger population at Dhaka, and certainly coming on the
bus, you can see it's a lot more of a congested city, so certainly expecting
a few more people to come to this ground, and it does get really rowdy. They
get behind their team massively," said Sodhi.

"It's a huge sport in this country. It's met with a lot of passion, so
hopefully we get a bit of a taste of that in this Test match, and it's always
exciting, especially in Test cricket, when you do get big crowds, because you
get used to it in white ball cricket, but in red ball cricket, it's extra
exciting."

But Sodhi was not fazed by the crowd getting behind Bangladesh team, rather
he wants to return to home, ending the series on a positive note.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to finish strong. You know, like you say, it's been a
really, really long time away, and, you know, it's been a really successful
last six or so months for the team, but it can come with a lot of emotions."

"Roller coasters of, like, getting to a World Cup, getting to a semi-final,
losing that, you know, the amount of time people spend away from their
families and friends, you know, in their home conditions and stuff, so it'll
be really nice to finish on a high. I think the boys are super motivated.
Coming on this bus trip so far, the conversations have already started how
we're going to, you know, try to combat these conditions and combat a team
that are really, really good in their own home conditions, and they showed
that in the last Test match, so that boys are super motivated. You know,
hopefully get some treats here before we leave, and then we can go and smell
that beer. It's going to be beautiful New Zealand air pretty soon."