India turn tables, win Test
Ashish Magotra
The Indian team has always been one which on its day is capable of making the best sides look really bad. Well, Monday was one of those days in the one-off Test against Bangladesh, and there was not much the babes of Test cricket could do.
The fourth day of the Test began on a quiet note, with India inching its way towards their primary target of 400 runs. Bangladesh continued with the two spinners bowling in tandem and it was quite some time before the seamers were brought on. The ball was 125 overs old and one wondered why the Bangladeshis did not take the new ball, which was long overdue.
India equalled Bangladesh's total in the 129th over of the innings, and at this juncture the batsman should have been looking for quick runs. However, they added just seven runs in six overs. Joshi, clearly playing for his hundred, failed to put the team's cause before his personal goals.
As it very often happens after maintaining a slow run-rate throughout the morning session, Joshi lost his wicket while trying to accelerate, with his score on 92 and India 13 runs ahead.
The fall of Joshi's wicket brought Javagal Srinath to the middle. He didn't last long, out for 2 after opening the face of the bat a little too early, to a ball down the leg side. The leading edge carried to Mohd. Rafique and India had lost its ninth wicket with the score on 421.
Zaheer Khan, the young quickie walked in next. But the Indian innings didn't last too long after that as Agarkar holed out to Bakish off the bowling Naimur Rahman, who came back into the attack to claim his sixth wicket.
India gained a 29-run lead and Naimur Rahman ended up with figures of 6-132, which incidententally are the second best for a country playing in its inaugural Test.
After lunch, Bangladesh's second innings did not have a good beginning, with opener Shahriar Hossain forced to retire hurt with his score on 3 and his opening partner Mehrab Hossain (2) following him to the pavilion soon after, caught by Murali Kartik off the bowling off Zaheer Khan, who bowled with purpose and good pace.
The next batsman was first innings centurion Aminul Islam.
Srinath and Khan could not make too much of an impression and that prompted the introduction of the spin of Sunil Joshi, as early as the 12th over at one end, with Agarkar continuing at the other.
Agarkar justified his skipper's faith in him by taking the valuable wicket of Aminul Islam, for six. Shariyar Rokon took his place in the middle. Meanwhile Habibul Bashar continued with the good form he had shown in the first innings.
Agarkar has always been an aggressive bowler and with Habibul in a positive frame of mind, a battle royale between bowler and batsman, after both had a mild exchange of words, looked on the cards. But while all this was happening Joshi grabbed a simple caught and bowled, and Rokon was back in the dressing room after scoring six. Bangladesh at this point were 43 for the loss of 3 wickets.
Akram, the new batsman, survived a dropped catch off Agarkar's bowling. The culprit was Sachin Tendulkar, who dropped a straightforward catch in the slips. Agarkar had been peppering Akram with some short stuff and when he pitched one up, the batsman jumped for it and a genuine edge flew off the bat towards the slips.
The battle between Agarkar and Habibul, the only batsman who batted with a fair degree of comfort, ended when the batsman was caught at third man by Zaheer Khan, trying to hook a short delivery out side the off stump. Habibul at this point had scored 30 of Bangladesh's 53 runs.
Khalid Mashud walked in to give company to Akram Khan. But Akram himself didn't last long, giving Joshi his second wicket of the afternoon session. Akram, trying to play a ball off his legs, popped it straight to Das, at silly point, who made no mistake.
At tea, India had finally taken centerstage. With Bangladesh tottering at 53/5 with one batsman injured, and only 24 runs ahead, India looked headed for a very unlikely if not surprising victory, considering the fact that this was the same team which scored 400 in the first innings.
The last session of the day begun with India looking to wrap up the Bangladeshi innings and the match in quick time. Bangladeshi skipper Naimur Rahman edged a ball pitched outside the off stump straight to Sadgoppan Ramesh, who made a mess of it. But luckily skipper Ganguly was there to hold on to the ball which spilled off Ramesh's grasp.
Shariar Hossain, the injured opener, came in to take his skipper's place. However, he could not do anything to prevent the inevitable. He padded up to a straight delivery from Joshi and was given out lbw with the score on 76/7. Joshi, in the process, claimed his third wicket of the innings.
Mohd. Rafique (4) and Hasibul Hossain were out next without troubling the scorers too much. At this stage the score was 81/9. Srinath got them both.
Murali Karthik, finally being brought in to bowl, claimed the wicket of Ranjan Das for his first Test scalp. Bangladesh were all out for an unbelievable 91. India needed just 63 runs to win the one-off Test.
The Indian chase started with a boundary off the bat of Shiv Sunder Das, who opened with Sadgoppan Ramesh. Ramesh got out once again trying to cut a delivery too close to his body and ended up dragging the ball onto his stumps. Hasibul was the bowler. Dravid replaced Ramesh in the middle and he seemed to be a man on a mission, eager to finish the game today itself.
Joshi, who compiled a valuable 92 as India overhauled the hosts' first innings score -- and finished the match with figures of 8 for 169, was adjudged the man of the match.
Scoreboard
Bangladesh (1st innings): 400 runs
India (1st innings): (overnight 366-7)
Sadagoppan Romesh b Bikash 58
S.S. Das b Naimur 29
Murli Kartik c sub (Raju) b Naimur 43
Rahul Dravid c Al-Shahriar b Rafiq 28
Sachin Tendulkar c sub (Saleh) b Naimur 18
Saurav Ganguly c Al-Shahriar b Naimur 84
Sabah Karim st sub (Shahriar) b Naimur 15
Sunil Joshi c Al-Shahriar b Rafiq 92
Ajit Agarkar c Bikash b Naimur 34
Javagal Srinath c and b Rafiq 2
Zahir Khan not out 7
Extras (b-13, lb-4, w-2) 19
Total (all out in 141.3 overs) 429
Fall of wickets: 1-66, 2-104, 3-155, 4-175, 5-190, 6-236, 7-357, 8-413, 9-421, 10-429
Bowling: Hasibul 19-2-60-0, Bikash 19-3-64-1, Naimur 44.3-9-132-6, Rafiq 51-11-117-3, Bashar 8-0-39-0.
Bangladesh (2nd Innings):
Shariar Hossain lbw b Joshi 7
Mehrab Hossain c Kartik b Zahir Khan 2
Habibul Bashar c Zahir b Agarkar 30
Aminul Islam lbw Agarker 6
Al-Shahriar c and b Joshi 6
Akram Khan c Das b Joshi 2
Khaled Masud not out 11
Naimur Rahman c Saurav b Srinath 3
Mohammad Rafiq c Saurav b Srinath 4
Hasibul Hassan lbw b Srinath 0
Bikash Ranjan Das c Das b Kartik 0
Extras (b-7, lb-1, nb-2) 10
Total (all out in 46.3 overs) 91
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-32, 3-43, 4-53, 5-53, 6-69, 7-76, 8-81, 9-81, 10-91.
Bowling: Srinath 11-3-19-3, Zahir 5-0-20-1, Agarkar 11-4-16-2, Joshi 18-5-27-3, Kartik 1.3-0-1-1.
Umpires: David Shepherd (England) and Steve Bucknor (West Indies)
Mail Cricket Editor
