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| August 23, 2003 | Saturday | Jumadi-us-Sani 24, 1424 |
Habibul leads Bangladesh’s fightback
KARACHI, Aug 22: Habibul Bashar spearheaded a spirited fight by Bangladesh with an unbeaten 82 on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan here at the National Stadium on Friday.
Bangladesh, who had been humiliated by Pakistan in three previous meetings at Test level, all by innings inside three days, battled their way out of trouble to reach stumps at 163 for three after conceding lead of 58 on the first innings.
In sultry conditions it was a day that, undoubtedly, belonged to the tourists, who now head into Saturday’s fourth day 105 runs in front with Habibul, who also topscored in the first innings with 71, holding the key as far as the outcome of the match is concerned.
Bangladesh’s cause was helped somewhat by Pakistan’s lackadaisical approach in the field that must have displeased both captain Rashid Latif and coach Javed Miandad.
A repeat performance on Saturday could well put the home side in an embarrassing position.
Habibul, who completed his fifth half-century in eight innings against Pakistan on Friday, had the satisfaction of scoring 50 in both innings of a match for the fourth time in 22 appearances.
Pakistan added only 45 more runs to their overnight 301 for five in reply to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 288.
Rashid scored the bulk of runs to double his Thursday’s tally of 27, but none of his partners supported their captain who had dearly wished for a much bigger lead at the start of play.
Thus Pakistan’s 346 counted for nothing even when they had succeeded in sending back Javed Omar, Hannan Sarkar and Sanwar Hossain with 83 runs on the board.
Habibul and 19-year-old Rajin Saleh, however, revived their team’s flagging innings in a gallant partnership that has so far realized 80 priceless runs in 128 minutes.
Debutant Saleh demonstrated he has the potential to make the grade at the highest level when he came out with flying colours after a compelling duel with Shoaib Akhtar in the closing overs to finish on an unbeaten 27.
The Pakistani fast bowler further tarnished his reputation with an ungentlemanly-like behaviour that surely could not have escaped match referee Mike Procter’s attention.
In an act against the norms of cricket, Shoaib, on his follow through, struck Saleh on the shoulder with a wild throw after the diminutive batsman had offered a defensive stroke.
These days, Shoaib, who relishes making headlines for all intents and purposes, cuts a forlorn figure who seems to have lost passion, both for the game and the country.
The paceman would have been better off playing for Durham where expectations are not as high to perform.
The cricket board may have erred in its hasty decision to play him in this series. Instead another newcomer could have been blooded.
So far Shoaib’s listless bowling spells has only served to undermine Pakistan’s prospects of winning this Test.
As the world’s fastest bowler, he has miserably failed to strike terror in the hearts of the Bangladeshi batsmen.
If Yasir Hameed had not made those runs on Thursday, Pakistan would have been in deep trouble. Yasir’s scintillating 170 (off 253 balls with 25 boundaries) had set the pattern for the rest of the incoming batsmen to cash in.
But apart from Rashid, whose unbeaten 54 is his seventh half-century in 35 Tests, the rest disappointed. Misbah-ul-Haq, the remaining specialist batsman, added only a single to his overnight 12 before Mashrafe Mortaza trapped him in front, playing across.
Rashid, though looking not as fluent as he was on Thursday evening, struck the day’s first boundary after 72 minutes and 15.2 overs of play.
Shoaib (1) was bowled through the gate by Mohammad Rafique, the slow left-armer, who then had Shabbir Ahmed taken at silly point for six.
Rafique reprieved Rashid, then 46, when he muffed a simple return catch.
The Pakistan captain then watched his Bangladeshi counterpart, Khaled Mahmud, take only his second wicket in eight Tests when Danish Kaneria offered a return catch.
It was a significant milestone in the 32-year-old Khaled’s career, who came into this Test with a bowling average of 406. His other victim being Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand spinner, at Hamilton on Dec 19, 2001.
Rashid, running out of partners, reached 50 with his sixth boundary and hit another before Umar Gul’s first innings in Test cricket was ended by a run out without facing a ball.
Pakistan can’t afford any further lapse in the remaining time of play.
If Bangladesh somehow garner another 150 plus runs this could be anybody’s match from then onwards.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 288 (Habibul Bashar 71).
PAKISTAN (1st Innings, overnight 301-5):
Mohammad Hafeez c Javed b Mashrafe 2
Taufiq Umar c Javed b Rafique 38
Yasir Hameed c Rafique b Mashrafe 170
Inzamam-ul-Haq c Rajin b Baisya 0
Yousuf Youhana c and b Rajin 46
Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Mashrafe 13
Rashid Latif not out 54
Shoaib Akhtar b Rafique 1
Shabbir Ahmed c Rajin b Rafique 6
Danish Kaneria c and b Khaled Mahmud 8
Umar Gul run out 0
EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-4) 8
TOTAL (all out, 117 overs) 346
FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-102, 3-103, 4-234, 5-270, 6-304, 7-307, 8-323, 9-338.
BOWLING: Mashrafe Mortaza 19-3-68-3 (3nb); Tapash Baisya 17-6-42-1 (1nb); Khaled Mahmud 17-2-74-1; Mohammad Rafique 32-9-76-3; Sanwar Hossain 9-0-23-0; Alok Kapali 18-3-50-0; Rajin Saleh 5-0-9-1.
BANGLADESH (2nd Innings):
Hannan Sarkar lbw b Hafeez 30
Javed Omar lbw b Shoaib 13
Habibul Bashar not out 82
Sanwar Hossain lbw b Shabbir 3
Rajin Saleh not out 27
EXTRAS (LB-6, NB-2) 8
TOTAL (for three wkts, 65 overs) 163
FALL OF WKTS: 1-19, 2-73, 3-83.
BOWLING (to-date): Shoaib Akhtar 15-6-38-1; Umar Gul 9-1-27-0 (1nb); Danish Kaneria 18-3-50-0 (1nb); Shabbir Ahmed 11-1-33-1; Mohammad Hafeez 12-7-9-1.
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