Ganguly, Joshi revive India

A day that had its ups and downs ended with India holding a slight edge. The same old failings of the Indian team surfaced with all the top-order batsmen getting off to good starts, but failing to capitalise on them. Too little Test cricket, is that the reason? Whatever it is, India, resuming on 81/1, clawed their way to 366/7 at stumps on day 3 of the inaugural Test against Bangladesh.

The third day began without much ado with Sadagoppan Ramesh getting to his fifty in the second over. Ramesh seemed to be batting with a fair degree of comfort, and with nightwatchman Murali Karthik holding up the other end, India was headed in the right direction.

It was exactly at this juncture, with Indian beginning to gain ascendancy over Bangladesh, that Ramesh got out playing on to his stumps off the bowling of Ranjan Das. Ramesh made 58. The Indian total at the time was 104.

Next up, Rahul Dravid played a competent innings and just seemed to be getting into his stride when he was declared out, caught by Sahariar Rokon off the bowling of Mohammed Rafique. Dravid's individual score was 28.

The fall of Dravid’s wicket seemed to stir the crowd because it brought Sachin Tendulkar to the middle and every time he strides in, he brings with him a sense of anticipation, a hope of something happening.

At the other end, Karthik on his part was continuing on his merry way, amassing 37 runs by the stroke of lunch when India were 165/3 with Tendulkar unbeaten on 5.

The post-lunch session was expected to be the most interesting of the day. India still needed another 36 runs to avoid the follow-on. At just the wrong moment, India lost Karthik to another dubious decision. The ball from Naimur Rahman, the Bangladeshi captain, pitched outside the offstump and hit the pad miles away from the bat to find its way to Rajin Salah fielding at silly point. But Karthik was declared out.

Rahman bowled a really good line throughout the morning session and this continued into the afternoon session. Karthik departed with the score on 175 and India suddenly looked to be in big trouble.

Bangladesh has so far pulled all the strings at the right time in this Test match. Sourav Ganguly arrived with a big responsibility on his shoulders, to get India to a respectable position. Ganguly and Tendulkar constitute probably the best opening pair in one-day cricket and were expected to tear into the Bangladeshi attack. But that was not to be as the next wicket to fall was that of Tendulkar with the Bangladeshi skipper doing the damage again.

The Bangladeshi spinners did a very good job bowling in tandem, giving away very few loose deliveries. Tendulkar’s dismissal brought Syed Saba Karim, eager to prove that he deserved his place in the side, to the wicket. When Tendulkar was dismissed, India were reduced to 190/5 with 11 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on. Karim played his part to perfection and did not try anything silly, being content to just give good company to his skipper.

The duo added 46 runs, taking India to relative safety, before Karim was out stumped in a fairly peculiar manner to Naimur Rahman, who was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers. Sunil Joshi then took Karim’s place and straightaway began in a positive manner, hitting the first delivery he faced for a boundary. The manner in which Joshi was playing seemed to rub off on Ganguly and the two set about repairing the damage. Thus, at tea, India were 261/6 with Ganguly on 44 and Joshi, 12.

After tea, Ganguly and Joshi continued sensibly and but for one occasion when there was a slight misunderstanding between the two -- Ganguly has always been slightly suspect running between the wickets and was lucky not to see his partner back in the pavilion -- they took India to 300 in the 94th over of the innings.

For once the home team allowed things to drift and Joshi began to take the attack to the bowlers who were now tiring after a hard day’s work. He reached his first Test half-century off 59 deliveries and India looked to finally be on top. But then Ganguly was dismissed with the score on 357. The captain compiled a well-made 84 before holing out to Al Shariyar to give Naimur Rahman his country’s first five-wicket Test haul.

Ganguly shared an invaluable partnership of 121 runs with Joshi. Ajit Agarkar came in at the fall of Ganguly’s wicket and gave Joshi good company to see off the remaining four overs. Joshi, who remained unbeaten on 71, and Agarkar on 5 will try and get India a lead over Bangladesh on Monday.

The best Bangladeshi bowler on view was undoubtedly Naimur Rahman. His figures tell the story: 40-9-110-5. India ended the day at 366/7, requiring a further 35 runs to overhaul the Bangladeshi total.

Monday thus promises to be a day of expectations. Anything is possible if the Indians manage to get a few quick runs on the board. With the pitch deteriorating fast, it would then be all up to the bowlers.

Mail Cricket Editor