India complete emphatic win in Dhaka

India won the second and final Test of two match GrameenPhone Test series by an emphatic margin of an innings and 239 runs inside three days. Through this win they secured the Test series 1-0. Zaheer Khan was adjudged Man of the Match for his 7 wicket haul in the match, while Sachin Tendulkar was chosen as man of the series for his back to back centuries.

India enforced the follow on after restricting Bangladesh for a meager 118 in the first innings. Couple of half centuries from Ashraful (67 off 41 deliveries) and Mashrafe (70 off 68 deliveries) lifted Bangladesh to 253 in the second innings, but could not prevent the inevitable.

The first Test between the two sides in Chittagong ended in a draw.

Defiant Mortaza rescues Bangladesh in Chittagong

A brilliant all-round performance by Mashrafe Mortaza saved the blushes of Bangladesh as they averted the follow-on on the fourth day of the first Test at Chittagong Divisional Stadium on Monday.

After taking 4 wickets with ball which is his premium duty, Mashrafe struck a brilliant 79 off 91 balls to lift Bangladesh from a tottering 122/7. Mashrafe found his new ball partner Shahadat Hossain as perfect company in his rescue act, and they shared an invaluable 77 run partnership in the 9th wicket to keep India at bay. Shahadat scored a career best 31 off 55 balls with 5 boundaries.

Defiant Mortaza rescues Bangladesh in Chittagong © Cricinfo

It was Mortaza, who started the fight back as Bangladesh top order batsmen hurried to the pavilion with rash shots and poor judgments. He forced Indian think-tank to change the game plan as he was equally aggressive against both spinners and pace bowlers. He started with a huge hit over mid-wicket for maximum and continued his breathtaking display of shots to guide Bangladesh towards safety. In his career best 79 which is also his maiden half century in test cricket, Mortaza hammered seven boundaries and three huge sixes.

Earlier, India decided to bat on as play resumed after a frustrating wash-out on the third day. India failed to capitalize on the decision, as Bangladesh picked two quick wickets which forced India to declare at 387/8, adding only 3 runs with their overnight score.

Anil Kumble was ill and didn?t turn up to bat, and Zaheer Khan perished in the third ball he faced nicking Shahadat Hossain to wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud without disturbing the scoreboard. Dhoni followed immediately, as he tried force on a delivery off Mashrafe Mortaza that pitched just outside the off stump and Javed Omar took a simple catch at point.

Bangladesh made a stuttering start as they lost two quick wickets early on in their innings. Javed Omar was first to go, as he was adjudged LBW to a delivery that clearly pitched outside the leg stump. RP Singh was the lucky bowler to get the nod from umpire Billy Doctrove.

Captain Habibul Bashar added further misery to his batting form, and played a reckless shot to get himself out for a duck in the third ball he faced. Sachin Tendulkar took a nice reflex catch in the first slip as Bashar edged an away delivery off Zaheer Khan without moving his feet. After the dismissal of Bashar, Bangladesh tried to repair the damage and Shahriar Nafees shared a 27 run partnership with Rajin Saleh with ease. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, when things were looking good, Shahriar Nafees lost his cool and edged one straight delivery of Zaheer Khan to Tendulkar at first slip. Nafees, who scored 32 with two boundaries, was again guilty of playing away from the body.

The misery continued after lunch, newly appointed Bangladesh vice-captain, Mohammad Ashraful played a nothing shot, as he glided a delivery to gully to the safe hands of Dinesh Karthik., leaving Bangladesh tottering at 58-4. Debutant Shakib Al Hasan paired with Rajin Saleh and started to repair the innings with some positive but cautious stroke play. The pair shared a useful 56 run partnership before Indian bowlers picked them up. Shakib was first to go, a rising delivery from VRV Singh clipped the inside edge of his bat on to the stumps and Bangladesh middle order collapsed in a space of 7 overs. Saleh followed him almost immediately after making a polished 41, when he tried to cut a Ramesh Powar delivery against the spin, only finding Sourav Ganguly at point.

Bangladesh collapsed to 122/7 from 114/4, and follow on looked inevitable, as Khaled Mashud was unlucky to be given LBW to a delivery that would have missed leg stump, and also took a faint edge before hitting the pad. At that point India were on top, and expected to wrap Bangladesh innings within 150, Mashrafe Mortaza started his fight back.

At first, he shared a 27 run partnership with Mohammad Rafique to guide Bangladesh to close to the follow-on target, and then he formed the best partnership of the day with his new ball partner Shahadat Hossain. The pair played positive cricket shots all over the park and Indian attack looked ordinary for that part of the match. Indian skipper Rahul Dravid rotated his attack but failed to break the partnership.

Shahadat started slowly but started to cut loose as Bangladesh were approaching to the follow-on mark. A googly from Sachin Tendulkar returned him to the pavilion, but only after Bangladesh averted the follow-on. Mashrafe continued his stroke play after losing the partner and was finally denied by an over pitched delivery from RP Singh that kept low. Bangladesh were finally all-out for 238 conceding a 149 run deficit in the first innings.

The spirited performance of the Bangladeshi pacers with bat continued with ball, and Shahadat Hossain picked two quick wickets to reduce India to 6/2. Wasim Jaffer got a pair in the match as his mistimed pull shot found Habibul Bashar at mid-off and an acrobatic catch by Rajin Saleh returned Dravid to the pavilion.

Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik prevented any further damage and India finished day 4 on 44 for 2, taking an overall lead of 193 runs. If weather permits a full days of play on fifth and final day, an exciting finish might be on the cards in Chittagong tomorrow.

Bangladesh to Host India and Pakistan in Tri Series in 2008-09

India have agreed to play a tri-series in Bangladesh with Pakistan as the third side in 2008 or 2009. The decision was taken after a discussion meeting between BCB and BCCI top officials on Saturday night.

Niranjan Shah, general secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), announced the decision today (Sunday) in Chittagong.

"We have agreed to play the tri-series in Bangladesh. I think it can be played in 2008 or 2009," said Shah.

"We have to make some adjustments to the ICC calendar. The BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) has readily agreed to all the conditions put before them” he added.

With this decision, BCCI scrapped the previously scheduled tri series between Bangladesh, India and South Africa in February 2008. According to BCCI, the originally scheduled tri series clashes with India’s tour of Australia around the same period.

The BCCI official also expressed their willingness to host Bangladesh for a full series in near future.

"We are very much willing to call them. We want to help them. That’s the reason we have agreed to play the tri-series. Bangladesh is welcome to India," Shah said.

Bangladesh are yet to play a Test series since obtaining Test status in 2000, as BCCI refused to host them on financial ground.

Bangladesh hosted India in their inaugural test match in November 2004 and India also played a full series in December 2004. Currently India is visiting Bangladesh for the third time on the trot.

Weather rules in Chittagong

Overnight heavy shower followed by early morning downpour forced umpires to call off the third day's play of the first Test between India and Bangladesh at Chittagong Divisional Stadium on Sunday.

Only 20 overs play was possible on the 2nd day, and as play was called off today without a ball being bowled, any realistic chance of getting a positive result in the first Test match of the GrameenPhone series is highly unlikely.

Weather rules in Chittagong © Cricinfo

The groundsmen had no opportunity to make the field ready for play, as rain created several puddles in the outfield, and poor drainage system further worsened the situation.

Umpires, Daryl Harper and Billy Doctrove, after consultation with the team managements have decided to abandon the day's play after a brief inspection at 11:30 AM local time.

The forecast is not encouraging, and meteorological office is predicting more rain tonight and tomorrow morning, casting a serious doubt on the fate of fourth day's play.

Umpires have decided to start 30 minutes earlier on fourth and fifth day, if rain permits any play at all.

Only 97 overs have been bowled in the rain marred Test match, and India accumulated 381 runs for the loss of 6 wickets after deciding to bat first.

Bowlers keep Bangladesh alive in Chittagong Test

Bangladesh bowlers fought hard to keep Bangladesh alive in the first Test of the GrameenPhone series against India on day two which was marred by rain and wet outfield.

India lost 3 wickets in the days play and added 89 runs to their overnight score of 295/3, as wet outfield, caused by overnight shower and early morning drizzle, allowed only 20 overs play on the second day at Chittagong Divisional Stadium on Saturday.

Bowlers keep Bangladesh alive in Chittagong Test © Cricinfo

However, the day will be remembered for two brilliant centuries from two legends of Indian cricket, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar. It was the first Test century for Ganguly in two years time and he continues his impressive comeback to the Indian Test squad. He smashed 304 runs in seven innings at an average of 52.33, since his return to Test cricket in December 2006.

Surprisingly enough, both the experienced pros, Tendulkar and Ganguly, perished in similar fashion, just after reaching the century mark.

Ganguly was first to go after sharing a record 189 run 4th wicket partnership with Tendulkar. He received an awkward bouncer from Shahadat Hossain to complete his 13th Test century and was dismissed in the very next over without adding any more runs. Ganguly was hurried to a short of length ball from Mashrafe Mortaza, and the miscued pull could only reach the hands of Mohammad Rafique at mid off.

Tendulkar followed the footsteps of Ganguly, and played with extreme caution to reach his record 36th Test century. A rare lapse of concentration from the little genius saw the ball ballooned in the air when he tried to cut loose after reaching the century. The shot was identical to that of Ganguly, this time the bowler was Shahadat Hossain.

Ganguly smashed thirteen boundaries and 2 sixes in his 165 ball 100 while Sachin Tendulkar in his gritty hundred struck only six boundaries and laboured 51 singles.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar turned to the spinners as light was fading quickly and veteran Mohammad Rafique cleaned up debutant Ramesh Powar cheaply to celebrate his first wicket in the Test.

A brisk 36 off 35 balls from Mahendra Singh Dhoni kept the scoreboard ticking, but Bangladesh is right back in the match as India finished day two on 384/6 with only bowlers left to extend the first innings total.

Mashrafe Mortaza was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers and grabbed 3 wickets for 95 runs on an unfriendly surface while his new ball partner Shahdat Hossain bagged 2 wickets for 75 runs. Mohmmad Rafique was the only spinner to take a wicket on a pitch that was expected to suit slow bowlers.

Earlier, wet outfield took the centre stage, as grounds men worked hard to make the field ready to play for most part of the day. The sun was out but overnight rain created some patchy areas in the outfield of the newly built stadium. After three bouts of inspections, umpires finally decided to start the play at 4:30 PM local time allowing only 20 overs cricket on the second day.

According to revised playing condition, play will start 30 minutes earlier for the remaining three days to compensate the lost time.

Wet outfield delays start in Chittagong

Wet outfield caused by overnight shower and early morning drizzle is delaying the start of the second day's play of the first Test between India and Bangladesh at Chittagong Divisional Stadium on Saturday.

The sun is out and grounds men are trying hard to make the field ready to play, but poor drainage system of the newly built stadium has resulted in some patchy areas. The wicket was covered with six different layers of different covering and looks pretty dry.

After first bout of inspection, the umpires have decided to inspect the field again at 2:00 PM local time (8 AM GMT). Play is expected to start shortly after the inspection.

India ended the first days play with score of 295/3 as bad light stopped play after 77 overs. Two experienced pros Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly remained unbeaten on 80 and 82 respectively. They already shared a 163 run partnership, and India is heading towards a massive score unless Bangladeshi bowlers can produce some magic on a very unfriendly wicket.

Richard McInnes Front Runner For Bangladesh Coaching Job

Former Bangladesh U-19 coach and high performance manager Richard McInnes, who is currently working as assistant coach of Australia and senior coach of Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence, is likely to replace Dav Whatmore as Bangladesh coach.

According to sources close to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), McInnes has already accepted Bangladesh’s initial offer and the details will be finalized within a week. Bangladesh’s current coach Dav Whatmore is leaving Bangladesh right after the India series.

During his tenure as Bangladesh U-19 coach, McInnes worked with most of the current national players who graduated from the age group level. BCB believe this will help McInnes in understanding and managing the team compared to other high profile coaches.

Other names of the BCB short-list, John Right and Ray Jennings have already declined to accept offers for Bangladesh coaching job.

BCB will also appoint a specialist bowling and batting coach after appointing the head coach. Sri Lankan Champaka Ramnayeke and former Pakistani pacer Aaqib Javed are in frame for the bowling coach of Bangladesh.

Double strike after lunch put Bangladesh in command

Bangladeshi bowlers have removed both Rahul Dravid and Dinesh Karthik after lunch to put Bangladesh in control in the first innings of the first test at Chittagong Divisional Stadium on Friday.

Former skipper Saurav Ganguly have joined batting prodigy Sachin Tndulkar as India is batting on 141/3.

After producing a beauty to remove Wasim Jaffer in the first ball of the Match, Mashrafe Mortaza broke the 124 run 2nd wicket Partnership by removing Dinesh Karthik as Bangladeshi bowlers dominate the proceedings after lunch.

After playing a brilliant 56 off 102 balls (8x4) Karthik was caught at mid-off while mistimed an attempted pull off a Mashrafe Mortaza bouncer.

Shahadat Hossain, Mashrafe?s new ball partner, struck immediately and removed Indian skipper as Dravid edged an attempted cut shot to wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud. Dravid scored 61 runs off 99 balls and hammered eleven boundaries.

After the first ball glory, Dravid and Karthik frustrated Bangladesh and raced to 113-1 at lunch. Indian skipper Rahul Dravid won the toss and made no hesitation to bat first on a flat track.

During the 124 run partnership, both Dravid and Karthik dominated the bowling and boundaries flew all over the park. Mashrafe Mortaza was the most expensive bowler in his opening spell and conceded 45 runs in 9 overs.

Introduction of spin failed to dent Indian aggression and India went to lunch with absolute control over the proceedings.

Bangladesh hand Test cap to Shakib Al Hasan

Young all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is making his Test debut against India in the first match of the GrameenPhone Test series at Chittagong Divisional Stadium today (Friday).

The young all-rounder has already made his presence felt in ODI arena with his consistent batting and slow left arm spin. He has played only 13 first class matches where he has a good all-round record.

hand Test cap to Shakib Al Hasan © Reuters

Paceman Shahadat Hossain gets the nod over left arm seamer Syed Rasel, who was the highest wicket taker of the ODI series. Bangladesh is playing the match with three slow left arm bowlers; test specialist Enamul Huq Jr. took the place of Abdur Razzak, who is Bangladesh?s highest ranked ODI bowler.

However, Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar was excited about his pace bowling duo and believes they can make the difference even in unfriendly bowling conditions.

"Shahadat can be very effective even in such a batting paradise but what makes me happy is that Mashrafe is in his best form. In his last Test series, he was not in rhythm but fortunately he not only got it back but is bowling at good pace," said Bashar.

Bashar, who is facing constant criticism for his poor form in ODI, expressed his relief to be back in Test fold where he is by far the best batsman of Bangladesh.

"There lies a big challenge for us with the Test series but personally it gave me some sort of relief. I think it gives me an opportunity to, at least, put aside all the question marks over my one-day career for a while. I feel comfortable in Tests but I don?t know why," said Bashar, who has three centuries and 24 fifties in Test cricket.

"India are better at Tests and they will have an edge because of the one-day series win. But when the game starts, both teams start from zero. I think it is important for us to start the match on the right note. That will set the tone. We have got the potential to push India, like we did against Australia" added Bashar.

Bangladesh is struggling to cope with injury problems. The squad was hit by the viral fever and as many as five members have recovered from flu with Tushar Imarn still suffering from the seasonal fever that kept him out of the squad.

India have decided to go with five bowlers that surprisingly left both VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh out of the playing XI.

Teams

Bangladesh (XI) : Habibul Bashar (captain), Mohammad Ashraful (vice-captain), Javed Omar, Shahriar Nafees, Shakib Al Hasan, Rajin Saleh, Khaled Mashud (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Enamul Haque and Shahadat Hossain.

India (from): Rahul Dravid (captain), Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, M Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Zaheer Khan, VRV Singh, Munaf Patel, Rudra Pratap Singh, Anil Kumble, Ramesh Powar and Rajesh Pawar.

Umpires: Daryl Harper (Australia) and Billy Doctrove (West Indies)

TV umpire: Enamul Hoque Moni (Bangladesh)

BCB To Extend Payroll For Academy And Age Group Cricketers

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is going to extend its contracted players in a bid to offer financial security to up-coming talents. BCB is expecting the new move will encourage players to concentrate on cricketing developments throughout the year.

For the first time, cricketers playing for Academy side and age group teams will come under the payroll. It was decided at a meeting of the Cricket Operations Committee on Wednesday, May 16.

BCB is also looking forward to increase salaries of the national players who are centrally contracted for different periods. BCB general secretary Mahbub Anam at the end of the meeting informed that the board is going to introduce match fee for Twenty20 internationals and also raise the match fees for Test and ODIs.

The board has also outlined the calendar for the 2007-08 season with eyes on giving priority to the domestic competitions to make sure the schedules do not clash much with international matches.

Dav Whatmore Unhappy With BCB Comments

Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore is extremely unhappy after BCB CEO Mahmudur Rahman questioned his communication ability with sub-continent teams.

Mahmudur Rahman in an interview with Indian news agency Times Now said, "Whatmore being an Australian approaches things the Australian way, whereas the players in the sub-continent are an emotional lot. Dav is not used to giving explanations."

Him comments came as a bolt from the blue to the Bangladeshi media and players, and Whatmore is now considering legal action against the BCB for bringing his name to disrepute.

BCB high officials are trying hard to clear the air but Rahman’s comment has irked Whatmore as it effectively put a question mark over his man-management skill.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar rubbished Rahman’s claim and thanked Whatmore for his outstanding contribution for Bangladesh cricket. According to Bashar, players never experienced any communication problem with Whatmore in his 4 years tenure.

Dav Whatmore has worked in excess of nine years as a coach of sub-continental team and is the most likely contender to succeed Greg Chappell as India coach.

Kumble: Bangladesh Can Challenge India In Tests

Indian leg spinner Anil Kumble believes Bangladesh will be able to pose significant challenge in the up-coming two match test series which starts on Friday.

Speaking to Tigercricket.com, Bangladesh Cricket Board’s official site, Kumble paid respect to the progressing Bangladesh side that have already shown some improvements in the longer version of the game in their last test series against Australia.

“Definitely Bangladesh have improved a lot. They won many matches in the last two years and that gave them a lot of confidence. They have a good side and we respect them. They can challenge any opposition in their day.” said Kumble.

“Obviously Test cricket is different but they have done well in the Test match arena as well. They came close to beating Australia last year. So we know their strengths and we will try to do our best,” he added.

However, Kumble was concerned about the hot and humid conditions. It's summer in Bangladesh and mercury is regularly hitting levels well above the 360^oC mark.

“It is pretty hot. The team which copes with the heat better will come out top,” said Kumble who was the most successful bowler in the previous test series against Bangladesh.

Answering on a question about Bangladeshi batsman’s success against Shane Warne in the last test series, Kumble showed his optimism about his performance and winning the test series.

“I think when last time I came here I was pretty successful. We won the Test series. That’s how I like to play the game. This time I will also try to do what I can and help the team to win the game”.

Bangladesh is playing test cricket after a break of 13 months. Bangladesh managed to win only one test match with four draws since gaining test status in 2000.

Bangladesh seek redemption but wash-out looms

After conceding the ODI series 0-2, Bangladesh will be playing for pride in the third and final ODI of the GrameenPhone series at Bir Shresta Ruhul Amin Stadium in the port city of Chittagong tomorrow (Tuesday).

Bangladesh failed to capitalise on opportunities and struggled with the fitness problems of the key players throughout the series. Only 7 days rest after a gruelling three-month long Caribbean tour is taking its toll on the bodies of the young Bangladesh side.

Bangladesh seek redemption but wash-out looms © Cricinfo

After missing Mashrafe Mortaza in the series opener, Bangladesh is set to play the final ODI without their ace batsman and vice-captain Mohammad Ashraful who is suffering from a fever and is hospitalised.

The Bangladesh cricketers will definitely try to give a befitting farewell to their coach Dav Whatmore and captain Habibul Bashar, who is playing his last ODI at home soil, by trying to win the third one-dayer but weather is set to play a major role in their fight back.

It drizzled overnight in Chittagong and this morning there was a brief recess. But the outfield was understandably damp and both teams were forced to practice at the indoor facility.

The forecast for tomorrow is not looking good at all, as the depression in the east central Bay intensified into a cyclone, compelling the Chittagong maritime port to issue danger signal number seven. According to meteorological office sources, tomorrow there is a 60 percent chance of rain and it could be accompanied by gusty wind.

Although India have avenged the World Cup loss Bangladesh by winning the first two ODIs in Dhaka, the visitors will be keen to keep their winning momentum if weather permits any play tomorrow.

India have already declared the 12 man squad for the match leaving out paceman Sreesanth who is nursing an injury, and Zaheer Khan who has been rested. RP Singh and Robin Uthappa are set to get their first match of the tour as India wants to experiment in the match, which is of academic interest only.,/p>

Bangladesh is forced to make one change in their 12 man squad as Mohammad Ashraful is out due to fever, all-rounder Farhad Reza is getting the nod over Shahriar Nafees to fill the slot.

Teams (from):

India : Rahul Dravid (c), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, M S Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Dinesh Mongia, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, R P Singh.

Bangladesh: Habibul Bashar (c), Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Omar, Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed, Saqibul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Mohammad Rafique and Farhad Reza.

Umpires: Ashoka de Silva (Sri Lanka) and Enamul Haque (Bangladesh).

Bangladesh Announce Test Squad for the Two-Match GrameenPhone Series against India

Bangladesh selectors have announced the 14 member test squad for the two-match GrameenPhone test series against India which starts from May 18 right after the ODI series.

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud, who lost his place in the ODI side, have retained his place in the test squad as selectors preferred him over Mushfiqur Rahim, who is considered as a long term prospect for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh A team captain Tushar Imran received a much anticipated recall after his consistent performances with the A team. Selectors have also picked current Academy team captain Mehrab Hossain Jr. ahead of dashing opener Tamim Iqbal.

However, the most surprising omission is Abdur Razzak who in recent past is the most successful ODI bowler of Bangladesh. Selectors kept their faith on Enamul Haque Jr. who played 10 tests for Bangladesh and picked 32 wickets.

Aftab Ahmed, who featured in the last test Bangladesh played against Australia in 2006, paid the price of his restlessness in the middle and lost his place to Rajin Saleh.

Bangladesh Test Squad

1. Habibul Bashar ( Captain) 2. Mohammad Ashraful (Vice Captain) 3. Javed Omer Belim 4. Shahriar Nafees Ahmed 5. Shakib Al Hasan 6. Rajin Saleh Alam 7. Tushar Imran 8. Khaled Mashud (Wicketkeeper) 9. Mohammed Rafique 10. Enamul Haque (Jr.) 11. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza 12. Shahadat Hossain Rajib 13. Syed Rasel 14. Mehrab Hossain Jr.

Gambhir ton guides India to series victory

A fine century from opener Gautam Gambhir steered India to a 46 run win over Bangladesh in the second ODI of the three-match GrameenPhone ODI series at Mirpur Sher E Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka today (Saturday).

With this win India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the GrameenPhone ODI series. The third and final ODI of the series will be played on Tuesday, May 15 at Chittagong.

Gambhir ton guides India to series victory © Cricinfo

Indian opener Gambhir smashed second ODI century of his career to propel India to a commanding 284-7 in stipulated 49 overs, after Indian skipper Rahul Dravid won the toss, and opted to bat first. Man of the match Gambhir in his 113 ball 101 struck 11 fine boundaries, and held the Indian innings together for the major part of the innings.

Gambhir received useful support from the last ODIs man of the match Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36 off 54 balls) and skipper Rahul Dravid (42 off 47 deliveries) during his match winnings knock. At one point India were heading towards a total of in excess of 300, but Bangladeshi bowlers did well in the late overs to hold them back. India managed only 68 runs from the last 10 over losing 5 wickets. At the end 284-8 posted by India proved well enough to secure an easy win.

Mohammad Rafiq took 3 wickets for 59 runs and was the most successful bowler for Bangladesh. Left-arm paceman Syed Rasel with his controlled swing bagged 2 wickets for 49 runs.

Chasing a victory target of 285 in 49 overs, Bangladesh lost their way at the very beginning when their dashing opener Tamim Iqbal ran him out scoring only 7 runs. Indian opening bowlers Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel received the reward of a disciplined bowling effort as Bangladesh slipped to 86-4 in 16.4 overs.

Bangladesh failed to recover from that position and some poor batting in the middle over ruled them out of the match. Under fire skipper Habibul Bashar played a sedate 43 off 88 balls which didn't help Bangladesh's cause as the scoring rate soared to 11 per over. A blitzkrieg 42 off 22 balls by Mashrafe Mortaza could only reduce the margin of defeat as the result of the match was already certain by that time. .

Mashrafe scored 25 runs off Dinesh Mongia's 7th over with four successive sixes to provide some entertainment to the packed crowd who were disappointed by the poor show from the home side. Aftab Ahmed (40 off 41 balls) and Muhfiqur Rahim (35 off 43 balls) were the other notable contributors for Bangladesh.

Indian promising leg spinner Piyush Chawla made an impressive debut and bagged 3 wickets for 37 runs in his spell of 10 overs. Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh picked two wickets each for 32 and 40 runs respectively.

Bangladesh look to bounce back in the must win game

Bangladesh is desperate to win the second ODI against India to stay alive in the three-match GrameenPhone ODI series. The match is scheduled to start today (Saturday) at 9:30 AM local time at the Mirpur Sher E Bangala National Stadium (SBNS), Dhaka.

The return of leading paceman Mahsrafe Mortaza is a timely boost for the hosts who came close to winnings the first ODI but eventually lost by five wickets.

Bangladesh look to bounce back to stay alive in the series © Cricinfo

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar rued the missed opportunity to win the first ODI, but showed his optimism to win the second match to level the series.

"We have no option to stay in the series other than winning the second match tomorrow. We came close to winning the match on Thursday, but it is now over. We are confident and positive about winning the second match," said Bashar after the scheduled light practice session at the SBNS today.

"We just hope that we can get everyone fit tomorrow because the second match is very important for us as India took the lead in the series" said Bashar, who is also under tremendous pressure due his poor show with the bat.

"If you don't score, the pressure will be there. The best thing is to come back and score runs, the pressure won't be there," Bashar added.

However, Bangladesh suffered another setback as their leading spinner Abdur Razzak is doubtful for todays crunch game due to an untimely attack of flu.

The relieved Indians enjoyed their time off from cricket and passed the day with light training and swimming, as no practice was scheduled for the day. Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth suffered severe cramp during Thursday's match, but both of them are expected to be fit for today's encounter.

Bangladesh (from): Habibul Bashar (captain), Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Omar, Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed, Saqibul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Mohammad Rafique, Farhad Reza.

India (from): Rahul Dravid (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Dhoni, Dinesh Karthick, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar.

Umpires : Ashoka De Silva (Sri Lanka), Enamul Huq Moni (Bangladesh)

Dhoni guides India to victory in the first ODI

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik with unbeaten half centuries steered India to a five-wicket victory against Bangladesh in the first one-day international on Thursday.

Replying to Bangladesh's 250 for seven in 47 overs in a match reduced by rain, India made 251 for five.

Man of the match Dhoni (91 not out) hit the winning run in the last ball of the 46th over to complete an unbeaten 107-run partnership with Karthik (58 not out).

Earlier, opener Javed Omar made 80 and Saqibul Hasan 50 to help Bangladesh to their total after electing to bat.

Omar faced 117 balls, hitting two sixes and seven fours to make his 11th ODI half-century.

Bangladesh ready to live up to expectation

Bangladesh are facing India in the first of the three match GrameenPhone ODI series at Mirpur Sher E Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) in Dhaka tomorrow (Thursday, May 10th).

This is the first time the two teams are facing each other after the historic World Cup encounter at Queens Park Oval in Trinidad, where Bangladesh toppled India by 5 wickets to send India home from the first round of the World Cup.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar said they are ready to live up to the high expectations of fans in the ODI series.

"We know the expectation is high after the successful World Cup campaign and we are also ready to meet that expectation," said Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar at a pre-match conference at the SBNS Wednesday.

Bangladesh ready to live up to expectation © Reuters

Bangladesh is playing at home and Bashar believes this will help Bangladesh to raise their game.

"We have the belief that we can beat any team if we play to our potential. India are a good side and we can't afford to take them lightly just because we beat them in the World Cup. But playing at home is always an advantage," said Bashar.

India are also keen to avenge their World Cup defeat and want to concentrate only on playing good cricket. The Indian team is under scrutiny after their World Cup exit and their build-up to the series suffered many problems. Recent revelations about the divisions within the team by an Indian TV channel is the latest blow to the Indian morale.

However, Indian captain Rahul Dravid wants to put everything related to the World Cup behind and start afresh for the ODI series.

"We want to put the disappointment of the World Cup behind us and move on. We look forward to getting on the park to play some good cricket".

Dravid praised Bangladesh for their recent development but promised a professional display to outshine Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh are obviously a very improved team and they showed that at the World Cup. They are very competitive, but we will be equal to the challenge," said Dravid in the pre-match press conference.

Both India and Bangladesh have been hit by injury blows. India?s promising youngster Manoj Tiwary is already out of the ODI series after suffering a shoulder injury, while Bangladesh?s leading paceman Mashrafe Mortaza remains a doubt for tomorrow?s match.

Bangladesh (from): Habibul Bashar (captain), Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Omar, Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed, Saqibul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Mohammad Rafique, Farhad Reza.

India (from): Rahul Dravid (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia, Mahendra Dhoni, Dinesh Karthick, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar.

Umpires : Ashoka De Silva (Sri Lanka), Nadir Shah (Bangladesh)

India arrive Dhaka for GrameenPhone series

A 15-member Indian cricket team, led by captain Rahul Dravid, arrived Dhaka amidst heavy security in the early Monday morning to play GremeenPhone ODI and Test series against Bangladesh.

India's coach-cum-manager Ravi Shastri Monday promised to play hard cricket against Bangladesh in the one-day series beginning on May 10.
It's not a revenge series - Dravid

It's not a revenge series - Dravid ©Cricinfo

"We know how well Bangladesh played in the World Cup and there is a very clear message for Bangladesh. We came here to play hard cricket," said Shastri on arrival at Zia International Airport, Dhaka.

The Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, who is expecting to be fit before the first ODI, said all the players are eagerly awaiting the series and he expects it to be an interesting one. "I am looking forward to this tour in Bangladesh. I strongly believe, we've the capability to perform well and it is going to be an interesting series," he said.

"I have told the players that the main challenge is to bring out our best performance. All the players are eagerly waiting for this series and I am sure they will prove their worth," Dravid added.

He however dismissed the talk of revenge and promised to play some positive cricket in their first outing after their world cup debacle.

"I don't really believe in revenge and there is no place for it in our book. What has a place is for us to show the true potential and play really very good cricket. And I think that's what we are looking to do here," said Dravid.

India will play the first two one-dayers in Dhaka on May 10 and May 12 and the third one in Chittagong on May 15.

India ODI Squad
Rahul Dravid (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, M S Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Manoj Tiwari, Dinesh Mongia, Piyush Chawla, S Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Zahir Khan and R P Singh.

Tigers set to play practice match to acclimatize with home condition

Tigers will play a practice match today (Sunday) at Mirpur Sher E Bangla National Stadium as part of their preparation for up-coming three match ODI series against India. The match will allow the cricketers to acclimatize with the home condition after a three month long Caribbean tour.

National cricketers will play against a team consists of centrally contracted players, Bangladesh A team and academy players.

Bangladesh A team captain Tushar Imran, former skipper Khaled Mashud, Rajin Saleh, Nafis Iqbal, Alok Kapali, Zunaed Siddiqe, Nazmus Sadat, Sajedul Islam and Dollar Mahmud will feature in the team that is expected to provide a tough challenge for the Tigers.

The Tigers had played a good number of international matches for last couple of months but the chief selector Faruque Ahmed believes the practice match will provide an ideal opportunity for the players to get an idea about the pitch.

"There is nothing better than playing matches. I think this preparation match gives the players an idea about the surface in Mirpur," said Faruque when asked about the practice match.

No practice match is scheduled for the touring India team before the start of the ODI series on May 10.

Pay Disputes Hinder Indian Plans For Bangladesh Tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), one of the richest cricket boards in world cricket, have not paid salaries to the centrally contracted players for the last seven months.

The news emerged as the players refused to sign new contracts ahead of the Bangladesh tour until the old payments are released.

BCCI have retreated from their efforts to get the new contracts signed and assured cricketers that their salaries for the last seven months will be paid after the Bangladesh tour. Some of the senior players compared the scenario with Zimbabwe, where payment disputes resulted in boycotts and the eventual decline in cricketing standards.

According to Times Now, a leading Indian news agency, the cricketers are very upset over the recent developments, but the gag order and fear of being targeted after the 'World Cup debacle' has forced them to keep quiet.

Players have not received any payments for the following tournaments from the board:

- ICC Champions Trophy in India: October 2006
- Tour of South Africa: Nov 2006 to Jan 2007
- India-West Indies ODI series: January 2007
- India-Sri Lanka ODI series: February 2007
- World Cup: March-April 2007

BCB announce match officials for GrameenPhone India tour of Bangladesh 2007

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have announced the match officials for the up-coming GrameenPhone India tour of Bangladesh. ICC Emirates international panel umpires Ashoka De Silva, Enamul Huq Moni and Nadir Shah will be in charge of the 3 match ODI series which starts from 10th May 2007.

Nadir Shah will stand with Sri Lankan Ashoka in the first ODI while Enamul Huq will join him for the last two matches. Akhtar Uddin Shaheen from Bangladesh will act as the TV umpire for the ODI series.

The two match test series which starts from 18th May will be officiated by ICC elite panel umpires Daryl Harper and Billy Doctrove. Nadir Shah and Enamul Huq will act as the TV umpires for the test series.

Roshan Mahanama will act as the ICC match referee for the GrameenPhone India tour of Bangladesh 2007.

Tour Itinerary and Officials

Match	Date & Venue	Match Referee	Field Umpire	TV Umpire	Reserve Umpire
1st ODI	10 May 2007, Dhaka	Mr. Roshan Mahanama	Mr. Nadir Shah Mr. Asoka De Silva	Mr. A.F.M. Akhtar Uddin	Mr. Sayed Mahbub Ullah
2nd ODI	12 May 2007, Dhaka	Mr. Roshan Mahanama	Mr. Enamul Hoque Moni Mr. Asoka De Silva	Mr. A.F.M. Akhtar Uddin	Mr. Sayed Mahbub Ullah
3rd ODI	15 May 2007, Chittagong	Mr. Roshan Mahanama	Mr. Enamul Hoque Moni Mr. Asoka De Silva	Mr. A.F.M. Akhtar Uddin	Mr. Jahangir Alam
1st Test	18 - 22 May 2007, Chittagong	Mr. Roshan Mahanama	Mr. Daryl Harper Mr. Billy Doctrove	Mr. Enamul Hoque Moni	Mr. Jahangir Alam
2nd Test	25 - 29 May 2007, Dhaka	Mr. Roshan Mahanama	Mr. Daryl Harper Mr. Billy Doctrove	Mr. Nadir Shah	Mr. Monzur Rahman

Pakistan Win Academy Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Academy has emerged as the champion of tri-nation Academy Cup by defeating hosts Bangladesh Academy by the narrow margin of five runs at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan Ground in Savar, Dhaka on Monday (May 1st).

After having been put in to bat, the Pakistan Academy were all out for a modest 237 runs on the last ball of their allotted fifty overs. In reply, Bangladesh were dismissed for 232 runs in 48.5 overs, the Pakistan team winning with just seven balls to spare.

Bangladesh skipper Mehrab Hossain was instrumental in the final with a brilliant all-round performance but could not secure a win for Bangladesh.

With his slow left-arm bowling, Mehrab first captured four wickets for 57 runs and then hit a brilliant 75 off 97 balls, but three run outs in the middle overs cost Bangladesh a chance of victory.

Bangladesh opening batsman Junaid Siddique smashed 69 off 63 balls with 11 boundaries and 1 six as Bangladesh raced to 112-2 after just 19 overs but paceman Najaf Shah (3-37) and medium-fast Junaid Zia (2-34) of the Pakistan academy restricted the middle order to ensure a Paksitan win.

Earlier, Afaq Rahim with a knock of 55 off 62 balls and Khalid Latif 31 off 57 balls lifted Pakistan Academy to 237 which in the end proved enough to lift the trophy. For Bangladesh, right-arm medium-pacer Mahmudullah Riyad took five wickets for 42 runs while skipper Mehrab picked up 4-57.

Sri Lanka Academy was the other team in the competition.

Bashar set to retire from ODIs after India series

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar is going to retire from One-day Internationals in a bid to extend his Test career. Bashar revealed his decision in a press conference yesterday (Monday) and hinted that the upcoming home series against India is going to be his last outing in the shorter version of the game.

Bashar is set to retire from ODI © Reuters

"What I want to concentrate fully on is Test cricket to prolong my career and that's why I'm thinking about my one-day career, I want to give the young guys more opportunities," said Bashar.

"I will officially announce my plan before the India tour but I want to convey my decision to my teammates first," Bashar added.

However, the 34 year-old most successful ODI captain of Bangladesh ruled out speculations that his poor form with the bat in the World Cup is the reason behind his decision.

"It's not that I have had a very poor show with the bat in the World Cup rather I had been thinking before the World Cup. I even talked with some of my colleagues and well-wishers about my plan before leaving the country for the World Cup," he said.

In the press conference Bashar admitted that he failed to live up with the expectations of fans in one-day cricket.

"I must admit that I have not batted well in one-day cricket throughout my career. But interestingly I have had very good performances for the preceding year except the World Cup," he added.

Bashar has a remarkably good Test record with 2838 runs in 42 matches including three hundreds at an average of 34.60, which is in stark contrast with his one-day record. Bashar managed 2125 runs in 109 matches at a modest average of 21.68.

The three match GrameenPhone one-day series against India starts from 10th May at Sher E Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka.