India seize initiative in opening session (Lunch report)
By IANSMonday, January 25, 2010
DHAKA - Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag shared a century opening stand as India cruised to 177 for two at lunch against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium here Monday.
The two openers, who raced to 69 in 13 overs in reply to Bangladesh’ first innings total of 233 on the first day, began from where they left, compiling 103 runs. The two were invariably tested with short balls by Bangladeshi bowlers who bowled with a lot of heart and resolve this day.
In fact, both Gambhir (68) and Sehwag (56) perished from the shorter deliveries and Rahul Dravid was lucky to escape a similar fate minutes before lunch.
Dravid was batting at 33 and Sachin Tendulkar at 13, with India trailing by 56 runs, when the teams left for the lunch break.
Sehwag, who resumed the day at an individual score of 41, looked in ominous touch as he drove to covers to bring his 50 off 51 balls with seven fours. But it was not long before Shahadat Hossain (1-33) pitched a shorter one that caught Sehwag’s gloves and went straight to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim. Sehwag 63-ball innings included eight fours.
Gambhir, who was gunning to equal Don Bradman’s record of six consecutive Test centuries, soon brought up his half century from 60 balls, which included nine boundaries. It was Gambhir’s 11th consecutive Test fifty which brought him at par with West Indian great Vivian Richards.
Gambhir’s end came in a fashion similiar to Sehwag. The 28-year-old from Delhi edged a bouncer from Shafiul Islam (1-51) to give an easy catch to wicketkeeper Rahim. Gambhir’s innings came in 83 balls and with nine fours.
Dravid, after taking some time to settle, played fluently but was lucky to survive when on 28. A Rubel Hossain bouncer caught Dravid off-guard and he was caught by Junaid Siddique at slip but umpire Billy Bowden signalled a no-ball.
