India inflicted a 113-run defeat on Bangladesh in the first Test, with a session of play left on the fifth and final day, at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong on Thursday.
The victory gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
Sachin Tendulkar was declared the man of the match for his masterclass effort (105 not out) in the first innings.
Chasing 415 to win, the hosts -- resuming at 67 for two overnight -- were dismissed for 301 in two sessions of play on day five, their best second innings total against the visitors.
Stumper Mushfiqur Rahim scored a valiant 101, an almost run-a-ball knock that comprised of 17 hits to the fence and one over it, in a late charge that helped Bangladesh reduce the margin considerably.
But it wasn't enough to help them save the match.
For India, Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma impressed with the ball, taking four and three wickets respectively. Zaheer Khan helped himself to a couple.
The win ensured India's unbeaten run extended to 13 Tests -- seven wins and six draws -- their last defeat dating back to August 2008 (against Sri Lanka).
It also enabled the team celebrate their recently-attained top ranking with a positive result in the first Test since.
The outcome was never in doubt after the visitors had set the hosts an improbable target.
With victory out of the question, what remained to be seen was how much would the hosts be able to reduce the margin of defeat, and if they will, at all, be able to save the match.
But Bangladesh put on a listless batting performance -- besides the rearguard action -- and in the end it was abject surrender, a far cry from the opening two days when they had set the pace and threatened to pull off an upset victory.
Besides Rahim and Tamim Iqbal (52), none of the home side's batsmen could display the virtue that's so essential in Test cricket, especially in a situation like this -- patience/perseverance.
The lack of quality, application and fortitude in their batting line-up clearly lay exposed.
To say Bangladesh's inexperience got the better of them wouldn't be entirely wrong -- for the average age of this side is 26.
But, at the same time, if this performance is an indicator (akin to their earlier efforts), question marks about their credential as a Test-playing nation will persists for a long time to come.
As regards India, the win is definitely a boost to the team's morale, as it comes soon after question marks about their credibility as the world's top Test team.
However, the team will do better if they don't look back so much into this result, or this series for that matter, and start looking ahead to the upcoming series against South Africa instead.
Morning session (69 runs, 25 overs, three wickets):
A dense fog cover, which has played a major role throughout this Test, delayed the start of the game yet again. Though the delay may have frustrated the visitors -- who were palpably keen to wrap the proceedings early -- the positive start more than made up for it.
Resuming at their overnight score of 67 for two, Bangladesh began the final day in the worst possible manner, losing an early wicket.
Mohammad Ashraful, who ended the fourth day with two boundaries in one over, continued from where he had left, smashing the fourth ball of the day (off Zaheer) past the point fielder and to the fence.
The 25-year-old helped himself to another boundary in Zaheer's next over, but, in his hurry to score quickly, he forgot the virtue that his team so desperately wanted him to adhere to -- patience.
And Ashraful soon paid the price. Ishant Sharma, in his second over of the day, induced a thick edge off his bat and Rahul Dravid made no mistake at second slip.
It was Dravid's 190th catch in Tests, the most by any fielder.
Ashraful's 32-ball 27 was inclusive of five hits to the fence, but his early dismissal was something the home team would never have wanted. Bangladesh reduced to 79 for three.
Ishant seemed to have found his rhythm back after a long time and he troubled both Tamim and Raqibul time and again.
And it was a matter of time before he hit the latter's pads, and umpire Billy Bowden had no hesitation in pointing his finger upwards.
Raqibul made only 13 and his dismissal increased his side's troubles at 97 for four.
Ishant's first spell (7-3-11-2) had put India in the driver's seat.
Meanwhile, Sreesanth replaced Zaheer at the other end, and Tamim, who had added just six runs to his overnight score (23), used the opportunity to free his arms.
The left-hander first hit straight past Sreesanth to the fence -- the shot ensuring the hundred of the Bangladesh innings -- and three balls later drove an over-pitched delivery to the midwicket boundary.
Captain Shakib Al Hasan also announced his arrival in style, dismissing an Ishant delivery to the mid-off fence in the next over.
And as Amit Mishra replaced Ishant in the attack (in the 34th over), the Bangladesh batsmen seemed to have made up their minds to not let him settle down.
Tamim reverse-swept the leggie past the point for a boundary to bring up his half century, his third in Tests and a timely one at that.
Virender Sehwag brought himself on for a couple of overs ahead of lunch and the impact was immediate.
The captain, replacing an ineffective Sreesanth, struck in his second over having Tamim caught by Dravid at slips.
Tamim made a patient 52, but his dismissal reduced Bangladesh to a precarious 136 for five after the day's first session.
With half their side back in the pavilion, the home side was precariously placed at lunch (136 for five), with Shakib (11) and Mushfiqur Rahim (1) desperately attempting to save the match.
Post-lunch session (165 runs, 32.2 overs, five wickets):
Shakib (17) began the post-lunch session in a confident manner, coming down the track and smashing Mishra's third ball to the long-on boundary.
But the leggie exacted revenge in his next over, deceiving Shakib with a googly and substitute Murali Vijay making no mistake at silly point. Bangladesh tottering at 146 for six.
The wicket helped Mishra, who had thus far struggled, an opportunity to get back his rhythm.
Sehwag re-introduced Zaheer into the attack in a bid to run through the Bangladesh tail.
But Mahmudullah (20) nullified the move early on, scoring two boundaries of the left-armer in three balls in Zaheer's first two overs after being brought back -- and then hitting successive boundaries in bowlers' third, the first over point and second between square leg and midwicket.
But Zaheer had the last laugh, having Mahmudullah caught by Dinesh Karthik to reduce the hosts to 170 for seven. The batsman had survived a ball earlier as Sehwag put down a sharp chance at gully. But the captain's miss didn't prove costly.
Rahim and Shahadat Hossain (24) played a few interesting shots in a brief display of aggressive batting -- an eighth wicket partnership of 60 runs, the best of the innings.
But it was too little, too late.
Mishra came back to clean up Shahadat with yet another googly.
Bangladesh back in trouble at 230 for eight.
In the next over (by Ishant), Mushfiqur helped himself with three boundaries, the second helping him notch up his fifth Test half century.
Shafiul Islam (8) smashed the fifth ball he faced (off Mishra) over the midwicket fence for a maximum, the first of the innings.
However, he was fortunate to survive the next as Yuvraj Singh failed to hold on to a skier at mid-on.
The good fortune didn't last long though as Mishra caught him off his own bowling. The hosts' score now read 256 for nine.
Mushfiqur smashed Sreesanth over deep midwicket for a maximum and followed it up with a boundary to third man as the bowlers' woe continued (he later left the field injured).
The Kerala speedster failed to make any significant impact in the innings and in his subsequent over Mushfiqur helped himself with two more boundaries to inch closer to a hundred.
And he reached the milestone with a boundary to long-on off Mishra, the shot also helping Bangladesh surpass the 300-run mark.
However, that was just about it as Mishra eventually had him caught by substitute Pragyan Ojha at long off.
Mishra finished with figures of four for 92 as Bangladesh were eventually dismissed for 301.
