Bangladesh News

India clinched the two-match Test series 1-0 with a massive innings and 239-run win over Bangladesh in the second and final match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

After the rain-hit first Test in Chittagong was drawn, India who had clinched the one-day series 2-0, withstood cameo performances from vice-captain Mohammad Ashraful and all-rounder Mashrafe Bin Mortuza on the third day to dismiss Bangladesh for 253 in the second innings. India had amassed 610-3 before bowling out the Tigers for 118 in their first innings and forcing a follow-on in home coach Dav Whatmore’s farewell match.

Ashraful cracked the fastest fifty in Test cricket as he took only 27 minutes to reach the landmark, beating the previous best by Englishman JT Brown who took a minute more.

Ashraful also joined Shahid Afridi (Pakistan v India in 2004-05) and Ian Botham (England v India in 1981-82) to score the second fastest fifty in terms of balls, taking only 26 deliveries. But his knock ended when he chipped the ball straight to man-of-the-series Sachin Tendulkar at mid-wicket on 67 off 41 balls. He peeled off a dozen exquisite boundaries and two scintillating sixes. Mashrafe struck 70 off 68 balls, laced with eight fours and three big sixes but none of the two innings actually had any effect on the match, as it only delayed the inevitable.

Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan took five for 34 in the first innings and two more in the second salvo on a bowlers’ graveyard to be adjudged man-of-the-match as Bangladesh continued to struggle in their return to the longer version cricket after thirteen months.

Zaheer admitted that the wicket played tricks on the batsmen’s mind.

“It was quite difficult conditions to bowl due to the hot and humid weather but the wicket helped as it was two paced and had low bounce even with the new ball,” said Zaheer in the post-match press conference.

“We put the ball in the right areas throughout and that really helped. I am very happy that I took a five-wicket haul as it has come after a long time,” said the man from Baroda who plays his domestic cricket for Mumbai these days.

The hosts, resuming on 58 for five, lost overnight batsman Shakib Al Hasan (30) off the second ball of the day when he was erroneously given lbw by umpire Billy Doctrove off Zaheer. Replays showed that the ball hit the pads outside the line of off-stump as Bangladesh continued to be on the wrong end of the umpires’ imprudence throughout the series.

After Shakib’s dismissal, Khaled Mashud played one of his typical back-to-the-wall knocks by scoring 25 off 64 balls, having struck two boundaries. He was the last man out as Bangladesh trailed by a gigantic 492 runs in the first innings.

Javed Omar was again out first ball, completing a king pair, but his caught-behind decision was also debatable as replays suggested the ball had not actually struck the bat as thought by Daryl Harper. He was soon followed by skipper Habibul Bashar (5) who failed again as did opener Shahriar Nafees (4) who tickled the ball down the leg as India wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni took a brilliant diving catch, ensuring the Bangladesh top-order perish within the first 20 minutes of the innings.

Ashraful then put the Indian seamers to the sword, as he shared an 81-run stand with Rajin Saleh, who struck eight fours in his 83-ball 42.

Mashud remained at the crease for almost an hour to score eight as Mashrafe entertained the sparse crowd with his big hitting abilities. Tendulkar took the final two wickets as he capped off a fine tour to Bangladesh. He struck a century each in Chittagong and Dhaka and bowled quite effectively to sign off a successful tour with the wicket of Mashrafe who skied a comfortable catch for Dhoni — another success for India in the trip.

India, scheduled to leave on May 30, will depart Dhaka this morning.