Shahadat and Shakib leave India struggling

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, (Reuters) – Left-arm spinner  Shakib Al Hasan and paceman Shahadat Hossain took four wickets  each as Bangladesh left India struggling on 213-8 before bad  light brought an early end to the opening day of the first test yesterday.

Sachin Tendulkar stood firm as wickets fell at the other end  to remain unbeaten on 76, giving India some hope of recovery.

Tendulkar, who gladly accepted an offer of bad light from  the umpires 38 minutes before the scheduled close, will resume  batting on the second day with Ishant Sharma (one).

Tendulkar, dropped by Imrul Kayes at slip off debutant pacer  Shafiul Islam on 16, reached the mark of 13,000 test runs with a mid-wicket boundary off spinner Mahmudullah.

“Bangladesh exploited the conditions quite well. The wicket  had a lot of moisture and it took a long while to dry. In fact  even if you see there is a lot of moisture now,” Tendulkar told  reporters.

“Eventually it is going to be turn out as a good batting  track. It will certainly play differently tomorrow and the day  after.”

India were comfortably placed at 63-0 at lunch after  Bangladesh had opted to bowl first. Dense fog delayed the start  by 90 minutes.

Opener Virender Sehwag, leading India in the absence of  injured skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was the first batsman to  be dismissed in the second over of the post-lunch session.

Tamim Iqbal took a simple catch at short extra cover to end  Sehwag’s brisk innings of 52 off 51 balls that included nine  boundaries.

Gambhir followed Sehwag in the next over on 23, edging a  catch to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim in a short-pitched, rising  delivery off Shahadat.

SCOREBOARD

India innings
G. Gambhir c Rahim b Shahadat                                            23
V. Sehwag c Tamim b Shakib                                                   52
R. Dravid b Shahadat                                                                     4
S. Tendulkar not out                                                                   76
V. Laxman st Rahim b Shakib                                                    7
Y. Singh c Rubel b Shakib                                                          12
D. Karthik c Raqibul b Shahadat                                               0
A. Mishra lbw b Shahadat                                                         14
Z. Khan c Raqibul b Shakib                                                       11
I. Sharma not out                                                                           1
Extras (b-1 lb-6 w-1 nb-5)                                                        13
Total (eight wickets, 63 overs)                                            213
To bat:  S. Sreesanth
Fall of wickets: 1-79 2-79 3-85 4-107 5-149 6-150 7-182  8-209
Bowling: Shafiul 9-1-41-0, Shahadat 14-1-51-4 (w-1 nb-2),  Rubel 10-0-40-0 (nb-3), Shakib 26-9-52-4, Mahmudullah 3-0-17-0, Ashraful 1-0-5-0