Record breakers pleased with their efforts

Martin Guptilland Brendon McCullum were satisfied with their record-breaking stand that rescued the New Zealand innings from a precarious position in Hamilton. "We just tried to get a significant partnership together at the start and we were happy to provide the runs that were needed by the team," McCullum said.

During the course of his career-best 185, he eclipsed Ian Smith's record for the highest score by a New Zealand wicketkeeper, but McCullum chose to focus on the significance of the effort from a team's perspective.

"Once we built a substantial partnership we knew that those sorts of things are always around the corner, but the important thing is that we were able to take the team to a good position."

Guptill was pleased to bring up his maiden Test ton. "Getting your first Test hundred is always a great feeling," he said. "It was also fantastic to get past that 150-mark, there was a lot of elation." In his short international career, Guptill has featured mostly at No.3, and said that the shift to No.5 was initiated by his coach.

"It was Mark Greatbatch who suggested I move to No.5, and I'm pretty pleased with the way it went." McCullum too, was appreciative of Greatbatch's impact, claiming "it was helpful to have someone like [Greatbatch] to talk to during the innings, someone who had played for New Zealand and been in similar situations."

McCullum acknowledged New Zealand's stranglehold on the match. "We just have to keep hitting the good areas and execute our plans and there is every chance that we can effect the follow on," he said.

Rubel Hossain, who picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests with the scalps of the two centurions, was optimistic about his sides chances. He believed that if the Bangladesh top order batted well, as Tamim Iqbal had done thus far, there was no reason they couldn't avoid the follow on.