India completed the formalities, thrashing Bangladeshby an innings and 140 runs in a one-sided contest to take a 1-0 lead in thetwo-Test series today.
It was a commanding performance by the Indians whonotched up a huge first innings total of 526, built around a career-bestunbeaten 248 by Sachin Tendulkar, and bundled out Bangladesh twice for less than200 to romp home with almost two days to spare.
Resuming at 170 for eight and needing another 172 tomake the visitors bat again, Bangladesh were bowled out for 202 in the sixthover of the morning session on the fourth day at the Bangabandhu NationalStadium.
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This was Bangladesh's 30th defeat in 33 Test matches.
The overnight pair of Manjural Islam and Tapash Baisyamade a last ditch attempt as they struck six boundaries between them today,extending their brave stand to 69 runs.
But their efforts proved too little, too late as left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan,declared man-of-the-match for picking 11 wickets in the match, snared Baisya(29) with a short pitched delivery for a simple catch to Tendulkar at mid-wicket.Two balls later, Islam (69) tried to hook Zaheer Khan but ended up with a faintedge to wicketkeeper Dinesh Kaarthick.
For Bangladesh, it was their 19th loss by a margin ofinnings and runs, and fourth such on the trot.
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The two Bangladeshi innings would have made aninteresting one-day contest, since they lasted just a little more than 110 oversput together on a flat track.
If anything, the wicket helped Pathan claim his first10-wicket haul in a match as the 20-year old left arm pacer sliced through theBangladesh top order.
The dampness in the wicket at the start of openingday's play did not help the cause of Habibul Bashar and his players. To thecaptain's bad luck, his counterpart Saurav Ganguly called the coin right for thefirst time in five matches this season.
The Indians then proceeded to make it a party of theirown with Tendulkar and Anil Kumble scaling the summit of their respectivecareers.
Tendulkar's knock was not only his personal best but also was his 34th hundred,placing him at par with former captain Sunil Gavaskar in the list of most Testcenturies. The knock also gave him a rare feat of scoring tons against all nineTest nations, achieved so far only by South Africa's Gary Kirsten and SteveWaugh of Australia.
It was not an entirely unblemished innings, but it wasclear that Tendulkar was determined to get a big score under his belt aftercoming out of a three-month injury layoff.
His 371-minute stay at the crease showed he hadsignificantly recovered from the tennis elbow that forced him to miss threeone-day competitions including the Champions Trophy besides two Tests againstAustralia at home.
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Kumble has nothing left to prove after claiming his435th Test scalp and going past Kapil Dev to become India's leadingwicket-taker.
Kapil had held that record for 17 years since 1986-87when he overtook Bishen Singh Bedi's tally of 266, and the throne has a worthysuccessor now.
Zaheer's whirlwind innings of 75, a world record forany number eleven batsman, and his Indian best partnership of 133 runs with thebatting maestro rubbed salt into Bangladesh's wounds.
But the hosts did not enhance their reputation when they reprieved Tendulkar atleast three times, when he was yet to cross his 50. The one positive feature ofBangladesh in the match was the performance of its seamers Baisya and MashrafeMortaza.
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The right arm pacers, aged 22 and 21 respectively, gavesome torrid time to the Indian batsmen. They were simply unplayable on thesecond morning when they bowled in helpful conditions.
Mortaza, coming back from an year-long injury lay off,was particularly impressive as when he knocked Rahul Dravid's off stump.
It has been a surprising development for Bangladesh whobegan with a score of 400 in their first innings in the inaugural Test againstthe same opposition at the same venue.
Now, four years later, it is their bowling and notbatting that seems to be their strong point.
Their batsmen, of course, have one more chance toredeem their image in the second Test beginning in Chittagong.
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PTI
