New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee refused to attribute fatigue as the cause of his team's defeat in the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet.
Retaining several players from the World Cup, New Zealand failed to replicate their earlier form, losing by 150 runs as they were dismissed for 181 in the second inning. Southee, acknowledging the busy schedule, emphasised that players were trying to freshen up, and the defeat marked only their second loss to Bangladesh in Tests.
Southee mentioned the team's good spirits before the match, emphasising that being on the road for an extended period is part of being an international cricketer. New Zealand, having played 55 matches across formats in the year, mainly away, defended their team selection for the match, with Southee praising Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, and Ajaz Patel.
While acknowledging the conditions and squad, Southee asserted that they picked their best eleven. Despite the loss, he preferred to focus on the present and the upcoming second Test in Dhaka, stating that their goal was to be better than the first Test. Southee credited the Bangladesh bowlers for their accuracy and performance rather than blaming the pitch, recognising that New Zealand fell short in building pressure for extended periods.
The second test of the series is scheduled to take place in Dhaka from December 6 to 10.
