India hunt down spirited tigers

There was a pleasing symmetry about this result. India expectedly won the opening Test, by a comfortable 113-run margin. In losing however, Bangladesh were not disgraced either. They fought well, scored in excess of 300 runs in their second innings, and wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim kept a buzzing Zahoor Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium entertained with the quickest Test hundred by a Bangladesh batsman.
India will travel to Dhaka for the second and final Test of the series in good frame of mind. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and key spinner Harbhajan Singh are expected to return to the playing XI, even though there is some doubt over the availability of Ishant Sharma, who has made a fine comeback into the Test ranks.
The positives therefore, were in plenty for the Indians. Other than Virender Sehwag shooting off his mouth on match-eve and the top order falling in an untidy heap the following day as if to prove him wrong, they did most things right.
The end of the match, an hour and 43 minutes before the scheduled close despite losing an hour to yet more fog this morning was indicative of the distance between these two teams. In all, over a full day’s playing time was gobbled up by the weather, more affirmation that Bangladesh will have to really stretch themselves in the second Test.
For parts of this match, they did enough to keep interest alive. The first innings bowling display was spot on, reducing the powerful Indian line-up to 243, their lowest ever against the Tigers. The fielding was supportive in both innings and the hosts found at least two batsmen willing to stand up and be counted.
Against the world’s top-ranked side, it was not enough. Too many rash shots meant a golden opportunity to take a first innings lead was squandered. When India batted a second time, the bowling just did not have enough sting to restrict the run-charge. These are areas that will worry skipper Shakib Al Hasan and coach Jamie Siddons ahead of the Dhaka Test, and there are just two days left to try and turn things around.
Thursday’s first session encapsulated these issues perfectly. Bangladesh needed at least two frontline batsmen to stay together for long but only Tamim Iqbal (52) at the top of the order and Mushfiqur (101) at the other end put their hands up. The rest came and went.
Credit for this, of course, goes to the Indian bowling. Marshalled by Zaheer Khan, they turned in two sterling performances, the first time to keep Bangladesh to below 243, and then to pack things up with time to spare on Thursday. To see the fiery Ishant (3/48, match figures of 5/95) bending his back and troubling the batsmen was a comforting sight.

SCOREBOARD
India (1st innings) 243
Bangladesh (1st innings) 242
India (2nd innings) 413/8 decl.

Bangladesh
(2nd innings,overnight 67/2)
Tamim Iqbal c Dravid b Sehwag 52, Imrul Kayes c Karthik b Khan 1, Shahriar Nafees c Sehwag b Ishant 21, Mohammad Ashraful c Dravid b Ishant 27, Raqibul Hasan lbw b Ishant 13, Shakib Al Hasan c Sehwag b Mishra 17, Mushfiqur Rahim c sub (Ojha) b Mishra 101, Mahmudullah c Karthik b Khan 20, Shahadat Hossain b Mishra 24, Shafiul Islam c&b Mishra 8, Rubel Hossain not out 4
Extras (b4, lb3, nb6) 13
Total (in 75.2 overs) 301
FoW: 1-8, 2-47, 3-79, 4-97, 5-135, 6-145, 7-170, 8-232, 9-258, 10-301
Bowling: Khan 20-5-90-2, Sreesanth 12.2-0-53-0 (nb3), Ishant 15-4-48-3, Mishra 22.2-3-92-4 (nb3), Sehwag 4-1-7-1, Yuvraj 1.4-1-4-0