da realsbet： Bangladesh showed some fighting qualities as they grind their way to adraw in the three-day game against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) XIat the UBL Sports Complex here Sunday
27-Aug-2001Bangladesh showed some fighting qualities as they grind their way to adraw in the three-day game against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) XIat the UBL Sports Complex here Sunday.Resuming at 30 for one and trailing the home team by 73 runs, thetourists were 239 for nine when the match was called off with sevenmandatory overs still to be bowled.The result was nothing but a highly respectable one for the touristswho arrived here for the Asian Test Championship opener againstPakistan short of match practice because of monsoons back home. Inaddition to this, the visitors put up a match improved performanceafter a dismal 161 in the first innings.In the second innings, the frontline batsmen dug their way and battedwith patience. Lady Luck also favoured them when the PCB XI spilled atleast half a dozen chances. But there is no denying the fact that theway the stroke-makers played, they meant business.Opener Mehrab Hossain and former captain Akram Khan struck halfcenturies of contrasting styles to lead the tourists fight back.Mehrab stroked a confident 72 off 173 balls with six boundaries whileAkram canned five blistering boundaries and a huge six off ShoaibMalik while scoring a 135-ball 53. Mehrab, who batted for 223 minutes,reached his half century from 110 balls with five hits to the fence.Habibul Bashar and Khaled Mashud chipped in with 33 and 27respectively.Shoaib Malik, the off-spinner, was the most successful bowler withthree for 77 while Azam Husain picked up two for 41 with his slowleft-armers.Yasir Arafat, however, made the ball to reverse swing in the finalsession of the match and almost brought the heart of the tourists intheir mouths. Although he ended up with just two for 36, the figurescould have been more respectable had the ball not swung more than itshould have.Yasir’s double post-tea strike had raised hopes of an interesting endto the match as Bangladesh, when the 15 mandatory overs started, werethen a little over 120 runs ahead. But No 10 batsman Mohammad Shariffrustrated the home team for 21 to end all prospects of a one-dayclimax. And last but not the least. Where there is Sadiq Mohammad,there is some humour and fun and Sunday was no exception. He adjudgedthree Bangladesh batsmen leg before, two decisions looked very tightand could have gone in the batsmen’s favour.But the comical thing happened when Sadiq adjudged Sharif leg beforeoff Najaf Shah and immediately reversed his decision. He acted as ifhe was walking but everyone present in the ground as well as theplayers, were stunned by Sadiq’s sudden change in decision. If Sadiqhas been watching television lately, he would have realized thatinternational umpires take time to make decisions.Although a quick decision proves that the umpire is confident but atthe same time, sometimes leaves him look like a fool as happenedSunday evening.Bangladesh leave for Multan on Monday where they play Pakistan in thefirst ever Test between the two nations from Wednesday.