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Tigers hinging on Day Two

Bishwajit Roy
The Bangladesh batsmen's estimation of what they would achieve ended up being nowhere in the ballpark as they descended into an all too familiar capitulation on the first day of the first Test against South Africa yesterday.
What happened at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium reflected the recent scenes of Dunedin. Wellington, Colombo and Kandy but the bowlers saved their skins at the end of the first day's play to ensure a stirring fightback.
The total of 192 might showed a slight first innings improvement in comparison with their recent debacles but one should not be optimistic enough to find progress’ in the batting of the Tigers: the permanent headache of the team.
It could have been a completely happy opening day for the Proteas due to Mohammed Ashraful's men’s senseless batting efforts but pacer Shahadat Hossain and ace left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique dealt blows to turn the table on the away team.
But the big issue for the visitors was not the loss of four wickets for 76 runs but rather the signs of waywardness from the Mirpur pitch which is already regarded as 'mysterious'one.
The dismissal of Jacques Kallis, who had no answer when a delivery from Rafique turned and kept terribly low, gave an indication of what is to come for the remaining
Proteas batsmen if the surface does not improve on the second day.
That was the reason why Bangladesh skipper Ashraful considered even their small total as a reasonable one but he restated that he wants his bowlers bowling in the right spot.
"Right at the moment 1 don't think our total was too bad to defend. I think the first session of the second day will be very crucial for this Test. If we can pick quick wickets then it will be a different story," said Ashraful, who disappointed the home crowd by giving away his wicket.
"But what we need is for our bowlers to bowl in the right spot because the encouraging fact is that the ball was keeping low," he added.
South Africa coach MickeyArthur also expressed his concern over the character of the pitch.
"We were really happy with the way we bowled today compared to our performance in the three-day match but at the end we are slightly disappointed as we lost a few' top order batsmen," said Arthur.
"But we still have six wickets in hand and I think it will be fine if we can manage 300 or more runs on t board. But definitely it will not be an easy task and we have to work hard in this kind of slow and low wicket," he added.
Arthur also admitted that the first innings is always important in the subcontinent because it often happen that the team bounces back in the second innings.
"It may not a major factor in our conditions but the first innings is
always important in the subcontinent that's why if we get 300 runs then definitely wc will be happy. It is difficult to adjust here because a different technique is required but we have some good players to handle this situation," he said.
The bowling effort provided some solace for the home team in the end but the suicidal manner in which the Bangladesh batsmen threw' their wickets away showed that they have hardly learnt anything from their previous mistakes or through the new training regime under Jamie Siddons.
As many as five batsmen in Shahriar Nafces, Habibul Bashar, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed and Shakib Al Hasan horribly threw away their wickets after managing to settle in the middle.
"The batting should have much much better as the wicket was really good in the first two sessions. We had a target of making 250 plus runs but we could not," confessed Ashraful.
Ashraful also admitted his mistake in charging off-spinner Johan Botha with only nine minutes remaining till the lunch break when even the world's greatest batsmen show their patience before any break.
"It was my mistake" was the short reply of the ace batsman.
Coach Siddons was understandably disappointed by his charges batting performance and found too much excitement as the reason behind the debacle.
"They got too excited which put pressure on them which I think is the reason behind the bad show," he explained.
The smile however did not totally vanish from the face of the Australian as he said: "The batting was disappointing but still there is hopeforus." SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpuryesterday.
BANGLADESH: First innings Tamim c and b Steyn 0
Junaid c Boucher b Steyn 1
Nafeesc Smith b Morkel 25
Bashar cMckenzieb Morkel 11
Ashraful c and b Botha 34
Aftab cNtinib Botha 44
Shakibc de Villiers b Morkel 30
Mushfiqurb Morkel 7
Rafique lbw b Morkel 0
Mashrafe b Steyn 29
Shahadatnotout 0
Extras: (lb-4,b-2,w-2, nb-3) 11
Total: (All out in 54.4 overs) 192
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-3, 3-32, 4-60, 5-82,6-152,7-152,8-152,9-192 Bowler O M R W
Steyn 11.4 2 27 3
Ntini 13 2 47 0
Morkel 13 2 50 5
Kallis 5 2 5 0
Botha 12 0 57 2
SOUTH AFRICA: 1st innings MckcnzielbwbShahadat 5
Smith bShahadat 10
Amla lbw b Rafique 25
Kallis b Rafique 17
Prince not out 9
Botha not out 5
Extras: (lb-2, nb-3) 5
Total: (For 4 wickets in 24 overs) 76 Did not bat: AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini.
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-19, 3-54, 4-69
Bowler O M R W
Mortaza 5 0 31 0
Shahadat 9 4 17 2
Rafique 7 1 19 2
Shakib 3 17 0