India turn the screws

The unprecedented cover of fog hounding the first Test finally cleared out and despite an early morning drizzle,the sun shone brightly over the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Wednesday....

The unprecedented cover of fog hounding the first Test finally cleared out and despite an early morning drizzle,the sun shone brightly over the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Wednesday. With the change in the conditions,Team India looked a different unit 8212; stronger and obvious favourites 8212; even if theyre not quite playing like the No. 1 Test side in the world.

After three days of playing catch-up to quell the spirited challenge of the Bangladeshis,Gautam Gambhir ensured that India finished the fourth day well-placed to take the series lead on the deciding day. On what proved to be a day filled with record-breaking or equaling achievements for the prolific opener,India declared their second innings on 413 for eight. Chasing a mammoth 414 for victory,Bangladesh reached 67 for the loss of two wickets still 348 runs shy of an improbable victory.

Starting the day with a 123-run lead,Gambhir and nightwatchman Amit Mishra had little trouble against the Bangladeshi bowlers,with even Shakib Al Hasan the only evident threat in the home teams bowling attack struggling to hinder their progress. While Gambhir picked up from where he had left off on Tuesday,it was Mishra who really proved to be an irritating thorn in Bangladeshs flesh. The leg-spinner,who started off positively last evening,scored almost at the same rate as his more accomplished partner,even attempting audacious paddle sweeps along the way.

When he brought up his maiden half-century in Test cricket,Bangladesh would have feared that he was on his way to repeating Jason Gillespies unbelievable effort on the same ground four years ago when he scored the only double-hundred ever by a nightwatchman. Thankfully for the home team,Mishras adventure didnt last long,as he was caught by Tamim Iqbal at mid-off off Mahmudullah for 50 off 70 balls.

There was no stopping the almost impenetrable Gambhir though,and the left-hander brought up his ninth Test century in style,dancing down the track to Shakib and lofting him over the mid-on boundary for his only six. Gambhir then handed Shafiul Islam his maiden Test wicket,top-edging a cut to Shahriar Nafees at third-man.

Bangladesh did enjoy brief moments of joy in between as Rahul Dravid ran himself out without grounding his bat,and Sachin Tendulkar was trapped LBW by Rubel Hossain.

However,VVS Laxman settled down at one end while Yuvraj Singh,Dinesh Karthik and Zaheer Khan upped the tempo of the innings from the other. While Yuvraj,Karthik and Zaheer fell after stroke-filled and aggressive 20s,Laxman continued in his own graceful fashion. The sight of the stylish Hyderabadi right-hander opening up his feet to combat Shakibs attack from over the wicket certainly seemed to bring back memories of his glory days. Laxman reached his half-century before the tea-break and remained unbeaten on an 89-ball 69.

Story continues below this ad

Asked whether his team would concentrate on drawing the match,Shakib said,We will go for a win, to a raucous response from the local media. But with only eight wickets left in hand,Bangladesh will struggle to save the match even if they bat out of their skins.