Bangladesh's journey In the Test arena began well beyond their expectation when they scored a respectable 239 for six at stumps on the opening day of the Dutch-Bangla inaugural Test match against India at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
It was a successful day for the debutants In every respect starting with captain Nalmur Rahman winning the historic loss In the morning and deciding to bat In perfect conditions until the final ball of Indian left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi under fading lights.
Die capacity crowd at the big bowl could not have thought of a better way to spend the weekend. If not the most significant moment of their lives, as they were charmed by the two strikingly contrasting Innings from Hablbul Bashar and Amlnul Islam.
Bashar walked into history as the first Bangladeshi batsman to reach a Test half-century when he scored a marvelous 71 to lay the foundation of a big total.
The right-hander, coming in to bat at his customary number three position, enthralled the home supporters with exciting stroke play. Out to prove that It could have been fatal had he not been picked In the team following a dramatic development after initially being ruled out by the selectors In the probable 14. Bashar hammered ten cracking fours in his 112-ball knock.
The baby-faced cricketer however missed the magical three-figure mark Just when it looked a certainty. Bashar mistimed an attempted pull off Indian left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan Into the safe hands of Ganguly at mld-off. It was the very first ball of the post-lunch session's drink break.
While Bashar s Innings was more like a typical one-day knock. Amlnul played a true Test knock of 70 not out during his nearly five-hour long stay at the crease. The former national captain played the sheet anchor role when he came in to bat after both openers were dismissed with the score reading 44.
Mehrab Hossain, on four, was first to go in the sixth over when he slashed an out-swinger from Zaheer Khan into the gloves of Saba Karim. It was the first Test wicket for debutant Zaheer and the first catch for wicketkeeper Karim.
Shahrlar Hossain, who faced the first ball of the inaugural Test and also scored the first run. edged a leg break off Joshi to Ganguly in the slips after making a docile 12.
But. Bangladesh hit back with Bashar and Aminul producing 66 runs for the third wicket. Together, they went for lunch a without further damage.
K Although Aminul was very subdued at the start, the dapper /igiit handertgrew in confidence as the grme • progressed! He • clubbed eight fours in his 289-ball unconquered knock and in the process featured in a vital 65-run fourth wicket partnership with Akram Khan.
Akram earned the distinction of becoming the first Bangladeshi Test batsman to hit a six an effortless heave over the head of bowler Joshi in the last over before the tea break. The portly right-hander paid the penalty of taking the aerial route quite frequently against Joshi and was eventually caught at mid-wicket by Dravid after making 35.
Al-Shahriar was adjudged leg
before off an in-swinger from right-arm pacer Ajit Agarkar on 12. Skipper Nalmur was playing confidently along with Aminul before becoming final casualty of the day. With only three overs remaining of the day's play. Nalmur played a defensive shot' against Joshi straight to Shiv Sundar Das at silly point.
Aminul then carefully encountered the tense final overs to make sure that he and wicketkeeper Khaled Masood (3 not out) could start afresh on the second day.
For Indian captain Ganguly nothing went according to hi's plan although Joshi had a rewarding experience. His perseverance on the same length earped him a pcspeciat^lq figure of 3 fdr 69 With the star leg-spinner Anil Kumble missing out due to injury. Ganguly's five-man attack lacked penetration. Ganguly's woes compounded when Srinath. in his comeback match after a long layoff due to injury, struggled to get beck his rhythm. There was a moment of inspiration, though, for Agarkar and Zaheer when the ball started swinging in the second hour after the lunch break. But Aminul and Akram survived the torrid session.
The match resumes at the same lime tomorrow.