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Bangladesh keep Indian batsmen in check

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November 13, 2000 

Dhaka - India started the third day of the inaugural Test against Bangladesh at the Bangabandhu stadium in Dhaka on a confident note. 

Sadagopan Ramesh in particular was in superb nick. An off drive off Hasibul Hussain and a wristy turn to mid wicket off Ranjan Das - both of which raced to the ropes - augured well for both the batsman and the team. The second shot brought up his sixth half century in Tests, besides which he has two hundreds. There was only a sparse crowd to cheer the Indian 100 which was registered shortly afterwards. 

Ranjan Das however was bowling with some hostility and he provided the breakthrough when he bowled Ramesh. The left hander from Chennai went forward, was beaten by the pace and bounce and the ball took the outstretched bat's edge before knocking back the stumps. Ramesh's generally fluent 58 was compiled off 92 deliveries and he hit six fours.

Rahul Dravid joined Murali Kartik and hereabouts wicketkeeper Khaled Masud was replaced by Shahriar Hossein. Masud had, a little earlier, received a painful blow on the knee while trying to collect a delivery from Hasibul Hussain to Ramesh. After the bright start made by India yesterday, Bangladesh had done well to peg them down this morning to just 38 runs in the first hour off 12 overs.

Dravid made a hesitant start but then got going with a splendid extra cover drive to the fence off Hasibul Hussain. A little later followed a crashing backfoot cover drive off a short delivery from Naimur Rahman which raced over the ropes. The Karnataka stylist by now had already overtaken the obdurate Murali Kartik who was playing his role admirably. But Karthik should have been dismissed at 23. He lofted left arm spinner Mohammad Rafique to mid off but Aminul Islam dropped a regulation catch.

The Indians seemed to be starting to assert themselves with both Kartik and Dravid hitting boundaries when suddenly they suffered another blow. Dravid who was shaping well was caught off his gloves at short leg by Al Shahriar off Rafique for 28. He faced 48 balls and hit five boundaries and with India now 155 for three, Bangladesh were in a position to apply some pressure.

The small crowd gave Sachin Tendulkar a big cheer and he and Kartik saw India to lunch at 165 for three. Tendulkar was five and Kartik, who had played with a straight bat, was on 37. He had certainly exceeded expectations but there was little doubt that the morning's honours belonged to Bangladesh. They had kept India down to 84 runs off 28 overs.