You would not have imagined that scenario when they declared their first innings at 595 for eight on the third morning of the test.
However they'll start tomorrow at 66 for three and with opener Imrul Kayes stretchered off after collapsing completing a quick single early in the Bangladesh innings today. Kayes injured his left thigh and was having an x-ray tonight to check the extent of the damage.
His fellow opener Tamim Iqbal was bowled by spinner Mitchell Santner and Mahmudullah touched a legside catch to the wicketkeeper off seamer Neil Wagner.
Then in a Keystone Cops moment, nightwatchman Mehedi Hasan hit a ball from Wagner to deep mid on. Having completed a single, for some reason started to set off for a second.
Santner gathered the ball, spun and his throw hit the stumps, with the diving Mehedi well short of his crease.
Mominul Haque was looking secure on 10 and he'll need to go big today if Bangladesh are to avoid what would be an embarrassing defeat.
Bangladesh's overall lead at stumps is 122 and New Zealand will begin the day with their tails up pushing for an improbably win.
New Zealand pressed on today in a bid to get as close to Bangladesh's total as they could.
A string of good partnerships helped, five of them worth more than 50 in the innings.
Tom Latham's pursuit of joining New Zealand's 200 club fell 23 runs short, when he went lbw to spinner Shakib al Hasan shortly before lunch.
His 177 was the second highest score by an opener on the ground and best by a New Zealand opener.
Earlier he had put on 142 for the fourth wicket with Henry Nicholls, who made 53.
Wicketkeeper BJ Watling and Santner added 73 for the sixth wicket before Watling and Tim Southee departed in four balls in the first over of the match from offspinner Mahmudullah.
Santner went on to his second test 50 and highest score, 73, before being last man out.
There was drama before then, however, as aggressive left armer Wagner was struck three times on his helmet by fast bowler Kamrul Islam in the space of 15 balls.
He was checked by medical staff, and had a plaster applied to his chin but kept the same helmet through all three blows before it was replaced for precautionary reasons after the third one.
There was no move to get a hospital assessment, the thinking being the International Cricket Council and New Zealand Cricket protocols had been followed and Wagner would be assessed through the rest of the day.
Indeed he was back at the bowling crease eight overs into Bangladesh's second innings.
Kamrul finished with three for 87 while there were two wickets apiece for seamer Subashis Roy, Mahmudullah and Shakib.
