Batting delights

When England the other day proved that even a score of close to 400 was not safe, what about Bangladesh's total of 307 at Mirpur yesterday? Will India romp past that mark? This was a puzzle that was to be answered later Thursday night, provided that rain stayed away during the Indian innings under lights.

But if you are a Tigers fan and want not to be bothered about what to follow then the home side's first innings total beyond 300, a first for them against the mighty Indians in the shorter version, was something to behold.

One may say that Bangladesh might have scored 50 odd runs short on a brilliant batting wicket. The argument could be that the Tigers should have carefully avoided India's best bowler on the field Ravichandran Ashwin after that rain break. But despite that, a collapse after an hour of rain interruptions, it was one of those rare days the Tigers dominated a better side.

Seventy-nine runs in 10 overs and 100 on the board in the 13th were how openers Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar went about a serious business against a vaunted Indian attack. It was however not the runs but the manner in which those were scored. Everybody is aware of what Tamim is capable of with his brute power. But it was the other left-hander, who for a change dominated even an on-song Tamim with his elegance and pristine touch.

Soumya made a good impression in the World Cup and against Pakistan last month. But his 38-ball half-century yesterday was a class apart. His effortless pull on the back foot and exquisite square drives were a treat to watch.

It took India a certain degree of luck to break the menacing pair with Soumya being run out after failing to back up while chasing a non-existent single. Rain poured soon after and a witty journo quipped that it brought more relief to the Indians than the hosts.

Tamim struck a fluent run-a-ball 50 before holing out in the deep while trying to force Ashwin.

Mushfiqur Rahim and debutant Litton Das also fell to Ashwin with the former unnecessarily trying the aerial route.

With four wickets down at 146 Bangladesh suddenly looked out of sorts. But a new-look Tigers, who have now made it a habit of turning things around, found a wily Shakib Al Hasan and along with him another young prospect Sabbir Rahman. The pair added 83 runs for the fifth wicket before Sabbir departed for a fine 41. Shakib struck his fifty but suffered a soft dismissal when he was about to cut loose.

The Indian pace bowlers might have bowled with their tails up against the opposition tail, but India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni must have tried his best to hide them somewhere when the true Tigers were in full cry.