The match officials had to stop play for five minutes soon after Bangladesh began their chase in the second T20I in Napier on Tuesday, as there was no clarity on Bangladesh's target up to that point.

New Zealand had been forced off the field by rain after batting 17.5 overs, in which they had scored 173 for 5. Bangladesh then batted the first nine balls of their innings - in steady rain - with the knowledge that their target in 16 overs was 148, which is what had been flashed on the scoreboard at McLean Park. Except, they were chasing 170. Which, later, correctly, was changed to 171.

Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo said afterwards that as far as he was concerned, the officials should not have started the Bangladesh innings till there was complete clarity on the DLS target. What also added to Bangladesh's confusion was that the ground scoreboard showed the over-by-over par score according to the calculation that New Zealand had batted 20 overs, not 17.5. Had New Zealand batted 20 overs and had the same score, the target would have been 148 in 16 overs.

Play is set to start at 9-40pm NZT with Bangladesh to have 16 overs. 148 their target. Follow play LIVE with @sparknzsport in NZ #NZvBAN pic.twitter.com/IRkcJ6xjlW

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 30, 2021

Domingo and Bangladesh manager Sabbir Khan were spotted in the match referee's room at the start of the second over. Jeff Crowe, the match referee, and fourth umpire Shaun Haig were involved in a discussion too. And following the conversations, the target was revised to 170.

"I don't think I have been involved in a game before where batters go out and don't know what the DLS target is," Domingo said. "There was a lot of rain around. Nobody had any idea of how many we needed after five or six overs. I don't think the game should have started until it was finalised, before there was a clear indication of what is required, and what we needed at certain stages. I don't quite think it [the conduct of the match] was good enough this evening.

"[When we met the match referee] they were still waiting for the printouts and calculations to take place. I think if you are waiting, the game can't start before you get it. What was explained now was that they normally get it one or two balls into the innings, but hadn't received it yet. They were waiting for it. There were delays and all sorts of stuff. No excuses [for the defeat, Bangladesh lost by 28 runs], but this is just very frustrating for us.

"They couldn't delay the game much longer, because they were running out of overs."

Right and now we can play. 170 confirmed as what Bangladesh will need to win from 16 overs. Play returns at McLean Park. #NZvBAN pic.twitter.com/dIz2XWpNR7

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 30, 2021

The game resumed, but even 170 wasn't the right figure. Based on the DLS version 4.0 released last October, the target should actually have been 171, with 170 the par score for Bangladesh. It took 13 overs of the Bangladesh chase, by which stage they had ridden Soumya Sarkar's 27-ball 51 to get to 94 for 1 in ten overs before losing a bunch of wickets in a rush, for the correct target to be flashed on the broadcast screens.

ESPNcricinfo has learnt that there was a fair bit of confusion in the Bangladesh dressing room when they realised that there was a mix-up about the target and their batsmen were out in the middle in the rain.

Crowe reportedly apologised to both the teams for the confusion but Bangladesh were quite unimpressed by both the DLS confusion and the fact that they had to bat in the rain.

"I don't think a team fields for that long in that much rain. It was slippery. The ball was wet. No excuses but it all seemed to be stacked against us this evening in terms of the conditions," Domingo said. "I have never seen a game starting in rain when we came out for four or five overs. I don't think the rules have changed but I was under the impression the covers don't come off until rain stops.

"The first ball can't be bowled until the rain stops. Maybe the rules have changed. I am not too sure."