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Tendulkar takes India to facile win
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S
Tendulkar
Man of the Match |
Colombo, July 21: Sachin
Tendulkar gave ample display of his all-round abilities as India showed signs of
returning to top form with an emphatic eight-wicket victory against Bangladesh
in the first Super League match of the Asia Cup cricket tournament here today.
Tendulkar snared three Bangladesh wickets before hitting up his highest-ever
score of 82 not out against the minnows to help India overhaul Bangladesh's
total of 177 in just 38.3 overs.
Much of the credit for setting
up the win went to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra although it was
Irfan Pathan (3/32) and Sachin Tendulkar who did the maximum damage after some
initial wayward bowling by the pacemen. Harbhajan marked his return to
international cricket after an eight-month injury layoff with impressive figures
of 10-2-20-1 on a placid track at the SSC ground after Sourav Ganguly won the
toss and elected to bowl.
Nehra, playing his first match
of the tournament in place of an injured Zaheer Khan, also did not disappoint
with some disciplined bowling in the middle overs. In their run chase, India
lost opener Virender Sehwag early but Tendulkar combined with Ganguly (60) put
on 154 runs for the second wicket and take the team to a facile win. The victory
earned India six points including a bonus point. The Indians will now take on
arch-rival Pakistan in their next Super League match on Sunday.
The Indian innings was off to a
spectacular start with Sehwag punishing a clueless Tareq Aziz who struggled to
find his rhythm in the first over which cost him 19 runs. But Sehwag's
belligerence proved shortlived with the bowler having him caught by Alok Kapali
on the fifth ball of the over for an eight-ball 16. Undeterred by the early
loss, Ganguly, promoting himself to number three ahead of V V S Laxman, and
Tendulkar then went about the task in a clinical fashion.
 Both
started their innings cautiously before opening up to hit some delectable shots
including some huge sixes. The pair put on 100 runs off 149 balls but
accelerated thereafter to show their class. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique
was treated with contempt by Ganguly who hit two of his three sixes against the
hapless bowler. Tendulkar also showed his aggressive instincts, reaching his
67th half-century with a four off spinner Abdur Razzaq and hitting a pulled six
over mid-wicket off Rafique.
Tendulkar, who has not hit a
century against Bangladesh in one-dayers, also surpassed his previous highest
score of 54 in the 31st over. The two batsmen, in the process, established a new
Asia Cup record erasing the previous mark of 123 for the second wicket set by
Saeed Anwar and Ramiz Raja of Pakistan against Bangladesh in Colombo during the
1996-97 edition of the cup. With five runs to target, Ganguly holed out to
Kapali, after batting for 100 balls for his 60 runs inclusive of three fours and
three sixes.
Tendulkar's unbeaten 127-ball
knock contained 10 fours and a six. Earlier, Pathan provided his usual
breakthroughs at the start and Harbhajan and Tendulkar forged a spin pair which
brought wickets for the Indians at regular intervals. The troubles for
Bangladesh, who lost wickets in pairs on three occasions, started in Pathan's
third over when the left-arm paceman took two wickets off successive balls.
Captain Habibul Bashar was
bowled neck and crop playing outside the line of a delivery and Rajin Saleh was
consumed first ball up by way of leg-before-wicket decision. Bangladesh, 2 for
10 in the fifth over, could never really recover from the blows despite Mohammad
Ashraful's brave effort. Ashraful teamed up with Kapali to hold the innings
together and put on 46 runs for the third wicket before Nehra had the latter
caught behind in his very first over.
 Bangladesh
were reduced to 92 for 5 when two wickets fell in Harbhajan's sixth over, one by
way of a run out. Harbhajan pushed through a delivery which found Faisal Hossain
(17) in front of the stumps and then Ashraful could not beat a direct throw from
Yuvraj Singh at midwicket after making 35 from 69 balls with three fours.
Tendulkar then took the centre stage, picking the next three wickets to fall.
Khaled Mashud (12) was caught behind the wickets, Mohammad Rafique (0) was
bowled trying to cut and Manjural Islam (21) was bowled round his legs.
Bangladesh, 117 for 7 at one
stage, were well served by tail-enders Manjural Islam (21), Khalid Mohammad (22)
and Abdur Razzaq (22) but still the highest for them were extras at 37. India
made three changes in their side, bringing in Harbhajan Singh, V V S Laxman and
Ashish Nehra in place of Anil Kumble, Parthiv Patel and Zaheer Khan. (Agencies)
Published: Wednesday, July 21,
2004
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