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First session crucial

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong
With the match suspended on a tiny thread that is the final day, tension has apparently boiled over on and off the pitch at the end of the fourth day of the first Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Bangladesh need eight more wickets for a historic win but New Zealand, at stumps on 145-2, require another 172 runs to snatch it all away from the Tigers. The pitch has eased up on the visiting batsmen this late in the match, maybe because of New Zealand's gamble to use a heavy roller during the innings break.
With so many factors involved,
the battle in the middle on the fourth day has been purely attritional.
The disappointingly small crowd saw Mashrafe Bin Mortaza smash Daniel Vettori for four boundaries in the morning. On one occasion, the big-hearted cricketer conned Vettori into bowling him down the leg, only to kick the ball away mid-crease.
Mashrafe added 40 with Abdur Razzak and 20 more with Shahadat Hossain.
He was given out stumped by Brandon McCullum off Aaron Redmond for 44 off 87 balls, just when the vice-captain was gathering momentum and taking Bangladesh's lead out of bounds for the Black Caps as well as setting himself for his third Test fifty.
The first angle of the television replay, taken from square-leg, was
inconclusive as it seemed that Mashrafc's boot was well inside the batting crease. But from the opposite side, it looked in favour of the red light, although it was played just once by television umpire Enamul Haque. The decision was taken after two more replays from the square-leg angle.
Sources claimed that match referee Javagal Srinath had a stern word for the former national cricketer, asking him to take more time before taking a vital decision. Even an unnamed New Zealand team staff was overheard saying that they thought the batsman would be given not out.
On the field though, it was more aggressive with both teams having a go at each other verbally for the last two days.
There was an incident a few overs before stumps yesterday
when Nayeem Islam struck Aaron Redmond on the face with a back-handed throw that was meant for wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim.
Apologies expressed but the two batsmen did not take it lightly and there was a heated exchange between some of the Bangladeshi players and the two batsmen as well as New Zealand 12th man Mark Gillespie.
"Sledging is part of the game, it happens all the time," was Abdur Razzak's version during the press conference yesterday.
Razzak, however, believed that the Black Caps were ambitious in the first dig, but have restrained themselves in the chase.
"They tried too many things out in the middle. But here we saw that they batted defensively and only went after the bad balls. They scored 29 runs from 15 overs at one
stage so it just goes to show that they have changed their approach," said the left-arm spinner.
"But it is still a good wicket to bowl for the spinners although their use of the heavy roller cut down some of the turn today but there still is some uneven bounce," added Razzak.
He alluded that the match is still in the balance and Bangladesh have a good chance of winning, if they can take an early advantage.
"We will look to restrict them in the first session, although keep attacking throughout," said Razzak, who hails from Bagerhat.
New Zealand's top-scorer Redmond also thought that the time before lunch is crucial for both teams.
"I can't really say (who is the
SEE PAGE 18 COL 5 FROM PAGE 17
favourite to win the game) because the game is evenly poised. The first session is going to be crucial, and how we approach it,” said the Otago batsman.
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard at close on the fourth day of the first Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium on Monday;
BANGLADESH: First innings 245 (Mehrab 83, Mushfiqur 79; Vettori 5-59)
NEW ZEALAND: First innings 171 (Vettori 55 not out; Shakib 7-36) BANGLADESH: Second innings (overnight 188-8)
Tamim c & b Vettori 33
Zunaedc Redmond b Mills 6
Rajinlbwb Patel 6
Ashraful c Redmond b Vettori 0
Mehrab c Mills b Patel 6
Mushfiqur b O'Brien 32
Shakib cTaylorbVettori 71
Naeem lbw bVettori 19
Mashrafe st McCullum b Redmond 44
Razzakc Taylor b O'Brien 18
Shahadatnotout 0
Extras: (b-4, lb-l,nb-2) 7
Total: (All out in 107.3 overs) 242
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-36, 3-37, 4-49,5-71,6-127,7-175,8-180,9-220.
Bowler O M R W
Mills 18 2 55 1
O'Brien 17 7 28 2
Vettori 42 13 74 4
Patel 20 7 53 2
Oram 8 2 19 0
Redmond 2.3 1 8 1
NEW ZEALAND: Second innings HowbRazzak 36
Redmond not out 62
Ryder run out 38
Vettori not out 0
Extras: (b-5.lb-3.w-l) 9
Total: (For two wkts in 64 overs) 145 To bat: Taylor, McCullum, Flynn, Oram, Mills, O'Brien, Patel.
Fall of wickets: 1-55,2-145.
Bowler O M R W
Mashrafe 6 2 16 0
Shahadat 9 1 32 0
Razzak 19 6 33 1
Shakib 22 9 34 0
Mehrab 2 0 6 0
Nayeem 5 17 0
Ashraful 10 9 0