Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 1058 Thu. May 24, 2007  
   
Sports


grameenphone TEST SERIES
Teams watch a day go by


After a frustrating half Test-match in Chittagong due to rain interruption, Bangladesh and visiting Indian teams opted to relax on their return to Dhaka yesterday.

The home side, who salvaged a draw with some unlike and dazzling all-round performances from fast bowlers Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain, landed in Dhaka on Tuesday night.

The Tigers stayed inside their hotel, having a bit of swim to wear off the heat and stretching to gear up for this morning's final training session for the second and last Test, which starts tomorrow at the Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur National Stadium.

The mood was upbeat after a never-say-die effort in the port city that saw Bangladesh hold India at bay for the first time in a Test match although over two days' play was wasted due to persistent inclement weather.

"In the end, the result matters and we are really inspires by the way the match went in Chittagong. It would be our motivation to do well in the Dhaka Test," told Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, who has yet to fully recover from the cold that kept him away from the ground for one session.

The latest victim of cold was Shahadat but sources said his condition was nothing serious.

There is hardly any chance to see any change in the local side although in-form Tushar Imran, having recovered from flu, will be a strong contender to make the playing eleven.

The Indians arrived in the capital in the morning and only three players -- VVS Laxman, Ishant Sharma and Rajesh Pawar -- who spent the entire first Test at the dressing room, settled outdoor training.

Accompanied by their bowling and fielding coaches Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, the trio practised at the Test venue in the afternoon.

One of the most stylish batsmen of this era, Laxman was dropped from the first Test as India decided to take five bowlers into the game on a docile batting pitch in a bid to get result.

The Hyderabadi batsman concentrated on long batting at the nets while Delhi-based quick Ishant, a replacement of Munaf Patel, bowled under Prasad's close watch. Left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar, yet to make international debut like Ishant, had stints with both bat and ball.

Both the teams attended the official dinner at Hotel Sheraton to round off the day.

Picture
Bangladesh vice-captain Mohammed Ashraful (C) shows a photo to Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar (R) and Yuvraj Singh during an official dinner at a local hotel yesterday. PHOTO: Anisur Rahman