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Dhaka, May 26: India established a vicelike
grip as they plucked out the top half of the Bangladesh batting
order for a meagre 58 after posting a massive first innings
total on day two of the second Test here today. Bangladesh's
inexperience of playing Test cricket showed off as they seemed
to be wilting under the pressure after India declared their
first essay at 610 for three, a run-feast featuring four
centuries by its top order. At stumps, Bangladesh were tottering
at 58 for five with Saqibul Hasan (30) and Mohammad Sharif (0)
in the middle. The hosts still needing 353 runs to make India
bat again could have been in a worse situation, but for the
butter-fingered Indian fielders, who spilled as many as three
chances during an action-packed last session at the
Sher-e-Bangla stadium. Full Scorecard
Earlier today, resuming at the overnight score of 326 for no
loss, India declared their marathon innings 53 minutes into the
post-tea session, with each of their first four batsmen cracking
hundreds. Skipper Rahul Dravid got 129, Sachin Tendulkar (122)
grafted to his 37th ton in the longer version of the game and
young talent Dinesh Kaarthick resumed his unfinished knock to
score his maiden Test hundred (129) to add to Wasim Jaffer's
opening day ton (138 retired hurt).
After having fielded for more than 11 hours under the blazing
sun, the Bangladesh batting came unstuck as Indian new ball
bowlers Zaheer Khan and R P Singh bowled some decent stuff,
reducing the hosts to seven for four midway into the third over.
Zaheer started the rot, getting rid of opener Javed Omar (0)
with the opening ball of the innings. The Baroda left-arm pacer
bowled a probing line outside the off stump and the batsmen
needled tentatively to manage an edge which went straight to
Kaarthick at third slip. Bangladesh had further jitters in the
second over when skipper Habibul Bashar (4) was all at sea
against the extra bounce generated by a short ball from R P
Singh and the thin edge finished in the hands of wicketkeeper M
S Dhoni.
In his next over, Zaheer dismissed the other opener Shahriar
Nafees (2) with an unplayable ball that swung a bit after
pitching on the middle stump and crashed through the gate to
uproot the stumps. Zaheer saw the back of vice captain Mohammad
Ashraful (0) with the next ball that cut back sharply and had
the willower plumb leg before. The seasoned Indian pacer was on
a hat-trick but squandered the golden opportunity with a rank
half-volley which Saqibul thrashed through the over boundary.
There was no let-up in the drama as Zaheer's next delivery saw
Saqib attempt a drive and manage only a thick edge but Dinesh
Kaarthick floored the low catch at third slip.
Kaarthick was the culprit yet again in the next over when he
dived to his left to make a futile effort to grip an edge
offered by Rajin Saleh which was flying to the waiting hands of
second slip fielder Sourav Ganguly. Saqib, on 18, got another
life in the eighth over when Ramesh Powar floored a low catch at
point. Anil Kumble was soon introduced into operation and the
veteran leg-spinner succeeded with his fourth ball as Saleh (20)
failed to read the top spinner and Jaffer took the catch at
forward short leg.
Earlier, the Indian willowers continued to torment the
Bangladeshi bowlers and the morning session yielded 116 runs.
Dravid completed his 24th Test century 25 minutes into the day's
play - the landmark coming off 144 deliveries - with an elegant
cover driven four off Mortaza. The Indian skipper played several
trademark sweetly timed shots to pile on the misery on the
opponent bowlers before becoming the first batsmen to be
dismissed in the innings. Having added 127 runs with Tendulkar,
Dravid was snared by veteran left arm spinner Mohammad Rafique
after a 242-minute knock that included 15 boundaries as also a
six.
That brought Kaarthick back in the middle. The youngster, who
was forced to retire yesterday following cramps on 82, reached
his maiden international hundred of the last ball before lunch.
Kaarthick played Rafique past point to complete his feat facing
180 balls during a 265 minute stint at the wicket. His knock was
embellished with 13 boundaries. Not to be left behind, Tendulkar
nudged and pushed to complete his second consecutive Test
hundred in the last over before tea with a single off Saqibul.
Kaarthick and Sourav Ganguly (15) were the ones to be dismissed
in the post-lunch session when India could manage only 86 runs
in 25 overs.
Kaarthicks 324-minute vigil came to an end when he tried to pull
pacer Mashrafe Mortaza and the top edge was taken by Bangladesh
skipper Habibul Bashar at mid-wicket. India were 493 for two at
that stage and 500 of the innings was achieved in 132.4 overs.
Amid the run-riot by the Indian batsmen, Ganguly was the only
exception. The left hander fell attempting to steer left-arm
spinner Mohammad Rafique and Rajin Saleh, doing duty in place of
Khaled Mashud behind the stumps, did the rest. Down the order,
Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a cracker of an innings, plundering
three fours and four sixes to race to an unbeaten 51 before
Dravid declared. Full
Scorecard (Agencies)
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