By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
IANS
Chittagong : Pacer Mashrafe Mortaza Monday scored a career-high 79 to help Bangladesh avoid the follow-on, though the hosts conceded a 149-run first innings lead to India on the fourth day of the rain-marred first Test that is heading for a draw.
It was Mortaza's maiden Test half-century (91 balls, 7x4s, 3x6s) that took Bangladesh to an unlikely 238 in their first innings, replying to India's 387 for eight wickets declared on a day that was surprisingly bright for the most part after persistent rains on previous days.
When play ended nine overs before the scheduled close, India were 44 for two in their second innings, with Sachin Tendulkar on 24 and Dinesh Karthik on 15. India now have an overall lead of 193.
The match, however, is largely dependent on weather rather than the declaration that captain Rahul Dravid might mull sometime Tuesday afternoon to give Bangladesh a target.
Dark clouds again covered the Chittagong skyline in the evening and it threatened to rain. The ground staff quickly brought on the large covers to protect the pitch and the adjoining area.
The entire third day's play was washed out Sunday, but only half an hour of play was lost at the start of the day Monday, surprising many.
Morataza and his priceless 77-run stand with Shahadat Hossain (31, 54 balls, 5x4s) for the ninth wicket avoided the follow-on target of 188 with some big hitting and lit up the stands at the Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium.
For India, the honours went to pacers Rudra Pratap Singh and Vikram Raj Vir Singh, who bowled well to take three wickets apiece. Debutant off-spinner Ramesh Powar took two.
If India failed to enforce the follow-on, it was partly because Anil Kumble, who did not come to the ground as he was running temperature.
India started disastrously in the second innings as Wasim Jaffer bagged a 'pair', failing to score a run in the match. The Mumbai batsman seemed to be in two minds as he spooned a simple catch to captain Habibul Bashar at short mid-wicket off Hossain when India had not even opened the account.
Then, Rajin Saleh came up with a stunning catch at square leg to signal the end of Dravid's knock (2), again off Hossain, to reduce India to six for two.
But Tendulkar and Karthik saw off the day without further alarm and had added 38 runs for the third wicket when poor visibility forced the end of play.
Earlier India started the day at 384 for six in their first innings, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36) and Zaheer Khan, who replaced absent Kumble.
But Zaheer was out after three balls when India had not even added to their overnight total. Dhoni played three more balls before departing at his overnight score. The declaration came soon after.
Replying, Bangladesh lost their first two wickets in the same over bowled by R.P. Singh. Off the third and fifth balls of his third over, the left-armer from Uttar Pradesh had Javed Omar (7) leg before the wicket and then dismissed Bashar (0) when Tendulkar took the catch at slips.
A struggling Shahriar Nafees (32, 56 balls, 2×4) showed glimpses of rediscovering form and Saleh (41, 81 balls, 6x4s) tried to do the repair work, but the partnership failed to get going. They put on 27 for the third wicket before Tendulkar took a good low catch in slips off Zaheer to get rid of Nafees.
Soon, Karthik, basically a wicket-keeper but playing as a specialist batsman, dived to his left to come up with a glorious catch to dismiss the dangerous Mohammad Ashraful (5) off R.P. Singh, who bowled an extremely tidy line and length for the rest of the day too.
With the fall of their best batsman, Bangladesh were tottering at 58 for four. The onus was now on Saleh and debutant Sakibul Hasan (27, 49 balls, 4x4s) to stop the rout. And they succeeded as they put on 56 for the fifth wicket.
Talented Hasan lived up to his reputation of being a promising left-handed bat as he played some pleasing shots during his brief knock.
Powar took his first wicket in Test cricket with his 35th ball. The Mumbai off-spinner must have been relieved to see Sourav Ganguly at point take a good low catch off Saleh's blade.
Veteran wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud did not last long, but the best knock of the innings was yet to come from Mortaza.
Mortaza, 23, occupied the crease for two hours and 20 minutes to frustrate the Indian attack no end and erase his previous highest score of 48. He might not have the best of technique, but his brave knock was full of innovative shots that made the Indian attack ineffective in Kumble's absence.
He was also lucky as Powar dropped a difficult catch at mid-on off Zaheer when Mortaza was on 45 (185/8). His team was still three runs away from avoiding the follow-on.
Playing his 21st match, Mortaza used the long handle to good effect and his knock suddenly put life into the stands. His every shot was vociferously cheered by the few thousand spectators enjoying the game under bright sunshine.
The Hossain-Mortaza ninth wicket stand was broken when the former was flummoxed and bowled by a well-disguised Tendulkar googly. Mortaza was the last man to be out, bowled by V.R.V. Singh.
SCOREBOARD
Day 4, First Test, India vs. Bangladesh, Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium, Chittagong
India (1st innings, overnight 384/6):
Wasim Jaffer b Mortaza 0
Dinesh Karthik c Ashraful b Mortaza 56
Rahul Dravid c Mashud b Hossain 61
Sachin Tendulkar c Ashraful b Hossain 101
Sourav Ganguly c Rafique b Mortaza 100
Mahendra Singh Dhoni batting 36
Ramesh Powar b Rafique 7
Anil Kumble retired hurt 1
Zaheer Khan c Mashud b Hossain 0
Vikram Raj Vir Singh not out 1
Extras (byes 2, leg byes 8, wides 2, no balls 12) 24
Total: (for eight wickets declared in 98.5 overs) 387
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Jaffer, 0.1 over), 2-124 (Karthik, 31.2), 3-132 (Dravid, 33.1), 4-321 (Ganguly, 84.2), 5-366 (Tendulkar, 91.5), 6-381 (Powar, 94.3), 7-384 (Khan, 97.3), 8-387 (Dhoni, 98.5)
Bowling:
Mashrafe Mortaza 24.5 5 97 4 (5nb, 1w)
Shahadat Hossain 18 1 76 3 (2nb, 1w)
Mohammad Rafique 24 3 99 1
Enamul Haque (junior) 15 0 59 0 (4nb)
Saqibul Hasan 13 2 29 0
Mohammad Ashraful 1 0 5 0
Rajin Saleh 3 1 12 0
Bangladesh (1st innings):
Javed Omar lbw b R.P. Singh 7
Shahriar Nafees c Tendulkar b Khan 32
Habibul Bashar c Tendulkar b R.P. Singh 0
Rajin Saleh c Ganguly b Powar 41
Mohammad Ashraful c Karthik b R.P. Singh 5
Sakibul Hasan b V.R.V. Singh 27
Khaled Mashud lbw b V.R.V. Singh 2
Mashrafe Mortaza b V.R.V. Singh 79
Mohammad Rafique st Dhoni b Powar 9
Shahadat Hossain b Tendulkar 31
Enamul Haque (junior) not out 0
Extras: (lb 1, w 3, nb 1) 5
Total: (all out in 68.2 overs) 238
Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Omar, 5.3 overs), 2-20 (Bashar, 5.5), 3-47 (Nafees, 15.1), 4-58 (Ashraful, 22.3), 5-114 (Hasan, 36.6), 6-116 (Saleh, 37.5), 7-122 (Mashud, 42.5), 8-149 (Rafique, 47.4), 9-226 (Hossain, 65.5)
Bowling:
Zaheer Khan 15 1 63 1
Rudra Pratap Singh 17 2 45 3 (1w)
Vikram Raj Vir Singh 15.2 5 48 3
Ramesh Powar 17 1 66 2 (1nb)
Sachin Tendulkar 4 0 15 1
India (2nd innings):
Wasim Jaffer c Bashar b Hossain 0
Dinesh Karthik batting 15
Rahul Dravid c Saleh b Hossain 2
Sachin Tendulkar batting 24
Extras: (lb 1, w 1, nb 1) 3
Total (for two wickets in 14 overs) 44
Fall of wickets: 1/0 (Jaffer, 0.3 over), 2/6 (Dravid, 4.2)
Bowling:
Shahadat Hossain 6 3 18 2 (1w)
Mashrafe Mortaza 4 1 12 0
Mohammad Rafique 3 0 7 0
Enamul Haque (junior) 1 0 6 0 (1nb)
Umpires: Daryl Harper (Australia) and Billy Doctrove (West Indies)
TV umpire: Enamul Hoque Moni (Bangladesh)
Reserve umpire: Jahangir Alam (Bangladesh)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka)