An indisciplined India allowed minnows Bangladesh tocome too close for comfort before scripting a thrilling 11-run victory in thefirst one-day international today.
Chasing a target of 246, the hosts relied on ablistering unbeaten 50 by Khaled Mashud to stage a remarkable comeback beforethe Indians restricted them to 234 for eight to take a 1-0 lead in thethree-match series.
The home team paid the price for launching theonslaught a little too late against an Indian bowling attack which lackeddiscipline, bowling as many as 17 wides and seven no balls.
The visitors had the game under control right throughbefore Mashud's 39-ball 50 very nearly turned the contest on its head withcaptain Habibul Bashar (65) being the other notable contributor.
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Put in to bat, middle order batsman Mohammad Kaif rose to the occasion with awell paced half century that helped India recover from a top order collapse andpost a competitive 245 for eight in the face of some disciplined bowling by thehosts. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mashud then led the hosts' fight in the final stagesas Bangladesh, needing 45 runs off the last two overs, plundered 33 runs toreach 234 for eight.
Mashud hit four fours and a six as he shared two vitalpartnerships that took the team closer to the Indian total.
He added 40 off 33 balls with Khaled Mahmud for theeighth wicket and then 34 off 16 balls with Tapash Baisya (7 not out.) for theunfinished ninth wicket.
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Sridharan Sriram picked up three for 43 with his leftarm spinners even as Bangladesh showed temerity in the face of consistentpressure applied by the experienced visitors.
Till Mashud came along, however, captain Bashar had towage a lone battle with a composed 65 as wickets kept falling at regularintervals at the other end.
In the end, it was not a meek capitulation like in thesecond innings of the second Test at the same venue earlier this week.
Bangladesh showed more toughness as they keptthemselves in the reckoning till the skipper's fall at 156 for five in the 41stover.
Bashar himself was guilty of a reckless shot as he tried to heave and ended uptop edging Sriram for a simple catch to Rahul Dravid at long off. Mashud madethe last ditch attempt as he plundered 14 runs with two fours and a six offdebutant Joginder Sharma in the penultimate over. But 28 runs off the last sixballs proved too big a task.
For Sriram it was a fine comeback since he last playedin a one-dayer in 2000 in Sharjah. As a paradox, Sriram began as a spinner inhis junior days before graduating to the opener's role.
The experiment of promoting Mohammad Rafique as a pinchhitting opener came a cropper as the batsman was gobbled up by a spectacularcatch by Yuvraj Singh.
Nafis Iqbal then ran himself out when trying to takeadvantage of an overthrow.
Mohammad Ashraful also could not live up to theexpectations that had risen sky high following his brilliant century in thesecond Test. And there was a rush of blood in his and all other dismissals ofthe young team.
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Bashar, who had a nightmare of a time with the bat inthe two Tests, finally began to show some form and it came at the right time forhis team.
The captain took his time to settle down but once theship was steadied he began to play some exquisite shots. A flick off SauravGanguly brought the first boundary after a period of lull.
Bashar seemed more at ease against the left-arm spin of Sriram, as he loftedover the head and even an inside out cover drive. He became the secondBangladeshi to cross the 1,000 mark in one-dayers when he reached 42.
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Aftab Ahmed provided good support with 30 off 48 ballsand the fourth wicket was worth 64 runs.
But the chase was dented as Sriram bowled a teasingline to induce the errors and keep the run flow in check.
The required rate began to creep above six and it beganto play on the batsmen's nerves.
Earlier, a well paced half century from Kaif and somelusty hitting by the tailenders helped India blunt a spirited performance byBangladesh.
The Indian total owed to the two half centuries frommiddle order batsman Kaif and vice-captain Dravid supported by good use of thelong handle by Ajit Agarkar and Irfan Pathan in the closing stages.
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Kaif (80) and Dravid (53) added 128 runs for the fourthwicket that lifted the Indian innings from 45 for three before Agarkar providedthe late thrust with his 24-ball 25.
Pathan (21) rounded off the innings with an effortlesssix to square leg as 42 runs came in the last four overs.
But the Indians, who had had a poor record in theshorter version of the game this year, struggled against some disciplinedbowling and enthusiastic fielding by the hosts.
PTI
