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Untitled Document
 Jaffer leads Indian batting feast against Bangladesh
25th May 2007 20:15 IST
Agencies
Wasim Jaffer made amends for his pair of ducks in Chittagong by cracking a sparkling 138 before retiring ill as India took firm control of the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur today.
The 29-year-old Jaffer notched up his fourth Test century to lay a solid foundation for the team alongwith Dinesh Karthik (82 retired ill) as the visitors reached a commanding 326 for no loss at close on the opening day.
Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar's strange decision to put the opposition into bat backfired completely as the Indian batsmen made the most of a placid track at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium to put themselves in the driver's seat on the first rain-free day of the tour.
Captain Rahul Dravid (88) was giving Sachin Tendulkar (9) company at stumps on a day which saw the visitors dominate the proceedings by scoring at a reasonably fast pace, unlike the rain-marred first drawn Test in Chittagong.
Jaffer and Karthik provided the foundation by stitching a 175-run opening partnership in hot and humid conditions before both of them retired ill because of cramps.
Karthik did not come into bat after the Tea break but Dravid sustained the tempo with a flurry of boundaries against the hapless Bangladeshi bowlers who lacked the sting to pose much problems for the batsmen.
The home team were made to pay a heavy price for a couple of dropped catches as the Indians accelerated the pace of scoring in the last session which saw as many as 151 runs coming off 37.1 overs.
Karthik bravely soldiered on for 237 minutes, executing a dozen boundaries, defying an abdominal injury off a Mashrafe Mortaza delivery and multiple cramps before he had to be helped back to the pavilion by physio John Gloster at the Tea break.
Dravid replaced Karthik after Tea and merrily carried on the job of consolidation with a regal knock to take India past the 300-mark.
Tendulkar, who came on to the ground after Jaffer too retired due to cramps with the Indian total reading 281, looked cautious and defensive. He was yet to strike a single boundary.
India now have the perfect launch pad for a mammoth total to put pressure on the hosts, whose top order had come apart in the first Test.
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