Dhaka, May 10
Mahendra Singh Dhoni defied cramps to hit a mature unbeaten 93 as India recovered from a mid-innings slump to post a hard-fought five-wicket win over Bangladesh in the truncated first one-dayer here today.

Chasing a victory target of 251 in 47 overs, India were in a spot of bother at 144 for five before Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik (58 not out) pulled the team out of the pits with a unfinished 109-run partnership and give the side a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Befittingly, Dhoni hit the winning stroke off Syed Rasel to see the side reach 253 for five and win the match with one over to spare in a thrilling contest which again underlined Bangladesh’s growing stature as a competitive one day team.

Though India skipper Rahul Dravid insists it’s not a revenge mission, the win did avenge the side’s humiliating defeat against the minnows in the World Cup.

Bangladesh, the surprise package in the recent World Cup, very nearly raised hopes of another upset win by first recording a competitive 250 for seven and then removing the top half of the Indian batting quite cheaply.

Electing to bat after the start was delayed by 45 minutes due to drizzle, the hosts were well-served by a 117-ball 80 by opener Javed Omar and 68-ball 50 by Saqibul Hasan. The young Tamim Iqbal provided a flourishing start with a quickfire 45.

The two teams will play the second one dayer at the same venue on Saturday.

The Indian innings got off to a blazing start as Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag plundered runs at will to take the team total to 33 after four overs.

Gambhir (21) was the more attacking but his stay in the middle came to an end in the next over as he failed to control his aggression.

Going for a shot, the Delhi player misjudged the line of pacer Syed Rasel and the ball rapped him plumb in front of the wicket.

Rasel picked up Sehwag (30) in his next over who went for an uppish drive and Saqibul Hasan pulled off a marvellous diving catch at widish cover, reducing the visitors to 56 for two.

Yuvraj Singh (1) also did not last long, and the hosts seemed in trouble at 63 for three. Shahadat Hossain tasted success with a slower one, as Yuvraj, who had committed himself to a drive, checked it at the last moment and Abdur Razzak accepted the offering at silly mid-off.

Dhoni, who had begun in his trademark blistering style, showed maturity by cutting down his strokes and put on a 49-run partnership for the fourth wicket with captain Rahul Dravid.

The Indian innings reached the three-figure mark in the 17th over, with Dhoni driving left-arm spinner Razzak to the onside to pick up three runs.

Dravid, who seemed to be shaping up for a big innings, paid the penalty for being in two minds to a flighted delivery from Saqibul Hasan. He first leaned forward and then went for a square drive, in the process managing only a slice, which went straight to by Razzak at backward point. Dravid scored 22 of 39 balls his departure left India reeling at 112 for four.

Dinesh Mongia (17), making a comeback into the team, did not look too comfortable in the middle before Saqibul Hasan plotted his dismissal with a flighted delivery to reduce the visitors to a precarious 144 for five.

However, Dhoni and Karthik ensured that India did not suffer any further setbacks as they curbed their natural strokeplay to consolidate the position.

Earlier, the Bangladesh batsmen made the Indian attack look like a pedestrian one and the openers laid the foundation for a modest total with a 78-run stand.

Before the toss, Bashar said a score of 230-240 would be quite competitive and in the end, the side had posted 250 for seven in the 47 overs.

After Bashar opted to bat first, Tamim (45) and Javed (80) ensured that their captain stood vindicated. Saqibul Hasan (50) and Mohammad Ashraful (29) then stepped on the accelerator as Bangladesh reached the 250-mark.

With the Indian pace duo of Zaheer Khan and S. Sreesanth struggling to settle into a rhythm, Tamim and Javed got on with the job in their contrasting style.

Javed put a premium to his wicket, while young Tamim whose blistering hits in the World Cup drew rich accolades, was at his fluent best.

The couple forced Dravid to make early bowling changes but Munaf Patel was too slow and was hardly a threat to the Bangla openers.

The spin duo of Ramesh Powar and Dinesh Mongia managed to keep things under control, barring occasions like the one when Javed hoicked Powar over long-on for a six.

Javed and Saqibul then stitched together a 107-run partnership to frustrate the Indian attack, which lacked both the fire and the sting.

Javed eventually returned run out after a 117-ball knock which included seven boundaries and two sixes but Saqibul went on to score a sparkling half century before he was stumped.

Mongia was pick of the Indian bowlers, claiming three for 49 in his 10 overs.

Scoreboard

Bangladesh

Omar run out 80

Iqbal c Sehwag b Mongia 45

Bashar c Gambhir b Powar 0

Hasan st Dhoni b Mongia 50

Ashraful b Mongia 29

Ahmed lbw Sehwag 16

Rafique c Karthick b Powar 11

Rahim not out 1

Extras (lb-1, w-13, nb-4) 18

Total (7 wkts, 47 overs) 250

Fall of wickets: 1-78, 2-78, 3-185, 4-200, 5-236, 6-240, 7-250.

Bowling: Zaheer 7-1-54-0, Sreesanth 5-1-14-0, Patel 7-1-31-0, Powar 10-0-55-2, Mongia 10-0-49-3, Sehwag 8-0-46-1.

India

Sehwag c Hasan b Rasel 30

Gambhir lbw Rasel 21

Dhoni not out 91

Yuvraj c Razzak b Hossain 1

Dravid c Razzak b Hasan 22

Mongia c Ahmed b Hasan 17

Karthik not out 58

Extras (lb-4, nb-1, w-6) 11

Total (5 wkts, 46 overs) 251

Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-56, 3-63, 4-112, 5-144.

Bowling: Rasel 9-0-68-2, Hossain 7-0-43-1, Razzak 9-1-35-0, Rafique 10-0-47-0, Hasan 9-0-43-2, Ahmed 2-0-13-0. — PTI

It was probably not the kind of finish that both teams would have waited for in the first game of the series, but just what the sponsors and TV companies love. A close finish like this means that the spectators will maintain their interest and follow the remaining matches as well.

Having beaten India in their game in the World Cup, a Bangladeshi win would have re-emphasised their progress in this format of the game and an easy India win would have made many people say that this is going to be a one-sided series with India exacting revenge for their early ouster from the World Cup.

The close finish shows that the remaining matches should also be nail-biting affairs, which is what a one-day game is supposed to be. Whichever team wins at the last possible minute, there is no doubt that cricket becomes the winner and while supporters of the team will have mixed reactions to the results, there is no doubt that their appetite will be whetted for more after such a result.

Bangladesh’s start was electric, with Tamim Iqbal taking on Zaheer Khan as he slanted the ball onto his pads. Javed Omar, more experienced than his young partner, did the sensible thing in ensuring that he kept his end going without taking too many risks. The young Tamim’s inexperience was seen as he threw his hand away, trying to hit Dinesh Mongia out of the ground in spite of a fielder being there on the boundary.

Sometimes, when one watches Adam Gilchrist make merry at the expense of the bowlers and making batting look ridiculously easy, other batsmen feel they can do it too. That’s how Tamim got out, and then Habibul Bashar of all people tried to play a lofted shot even before he had opened his account and could not even clear mid-on. With a bottom-hand grip, it has to be a perfectly timed shot to go over the infield and it’s very tough for a new batsman to do so.

Fortunately for Bangladesh, Omar batted on and ensured there was no collapse. Another youngster, Saqibul Hasan, then showed just why Bangladesh can be the team to cause upsets, by thrashing the bowling before he too gave his wicket away.

India’s start was no less electric than Bangladesh’s, and Virender Sehwag seemed to have recaptured his touch, but as is the case with him, he tried to do too much too soon and cast his wicket away. With Yuvraj Singh falling to a clever slower delivery, India were in trouble, and if the umpire had upheld Abdul Razzak’s appeal for lbw to the first ball he bowled, then Mahendra Singh Dhoni would not have been there to see India through in the end.

Why that was not given out will be a mystery, but Dhoni batted magnificently to steer India home in the company of the newly married Dinesh Karthik, who would be happy that his first innings after his wedding was a fine half-century.

Dhoni’s innings was impressive for the manner in which he kept his aggressive instinct along the ground and looked to score without taking the risk of the aerial route. The six-hitting appeals enormously to the crowd, but sometimes that has to be kept for another day, depending on the situation and the needs of the team.

Dhoni showed tremendous maturity in doing so and that is what team spirit is, when one curbs one’s natural game for the benefit of the team. No praise can be too high for Karthik, for it was his cheeky strokeplay and sprightly running between the wickets that gave Dhoni the confidence and the partnership he needed. It was a great win for India and a great start to the one-day series. — PMG

Islamabad, May 10
In another twist to the Bob Woolmer murder case, a Pakistani television channel claimed today that two champagne bottles which were reportedly mixed with a poisonous substance were passed on to him by Pakistan bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

Ahmed, who received the bottles from somebody, passed them to Woolmer, ARY TV quoted Pakistan’s media manager for the World Cup, Pervez Mir, as saying.

Mir said team manager Talat Ali was a witness to it.

According to reports in the British media, a weed killer was mixed with the champagne in the bottles.

ARY TV reported that Ali and Dr Nasim Ashraf, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, declined to comment on it.

According to the channel, Mir stated that Ahmed passed on the two bottles to Woolmer and only Ali and Ahmed knew the identity of the person who handed the bottles.

The bottles were recovered from the Pegasus hotel room of Woolmer who died under mysterious circumstances a day after Pakistan’s shocking World Cup defeat at the hands of Ireland.

The TV report also said that one bottle was empty and the other was not used.

Mir said Woolmer used to drink beer and he rarely consumed champagne.

Former leg-spinner Ahmed is an activist of Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic religious outfit. Former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had come under criticism for taking Ahmed as the bowling coach. — PTI

Karachi, May 10
The Pakistan Cricket Board is holding negotiations with Bangladesh coach, Dav Whatmore although he has yet to formally apply for a coaching position with the Pakistan team.

Whatmore is also the front-runner for the coaching assignment of the Indian team and has shown keen interest in the job.

The Pakistan Board last month had advertised the position of national team coach which was left vacant after the death of Bob Woolmer in Kingston during the World Cup.

The PCB has kept May 15 as the final date for applicants to send in their CVs and according to a senior official they have already received around seven applications from England, West Indies and Australia.

Interestingly, Whatmore has not applied for the position as yet but Zakir Khan, the Director of Cricket Operations confirmed the Board was in talks with him.

“It really does not matter when he applies. First we have to know if he is interested in accepting our offer,” Zakir said.

Zakir said nothing was final with Whatmore as yet and initial talks had been held.

“There is nothing wrong with talking to someone. He is a highly qualified coach and we are interested in him,” he added.

Zakir declined to say who were the other coaches who had applied for the position through proper channels.

However, former Test captains, Javed Miandad and Rashid Latif expressed their amazement over the board’s policy.

“It is strange. They admit to negotiating with a person whose interest in the position is obvious from the fact that he has not applied as yet,” Miandad said.

Rashid said the board had already chosen the wrong way to hire a new coach by advertising the position.

New Delhi, May 10
Unperturbed by the Sports Ministry’s decision to demote the national game, the Indian Hockey Federation today said the move would not have much of an impact on the sport because the IHF was hardly getting any assistance from the ministry.

“I don’t think it’s going to have much of an impact on Indian hockey. It only means that you will get less funds and we have not been getting much assistance from the ministry anyway. So in real terms, it is not going to have much effect on the game,” IHF president KPS Gill told PTI.

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar told Parliament yesterday that men’s hockey had been “demoted” from the Priority to the General category because of the continuous poor performance of the team in major tournaments in the recent past.

Gill was not ready to call it a setback for hosting the 2010 World Cup either.

“I don’t see it as a setback as such. We are hosting it in the same year as the Commonwealth Games, which means infrastructure would be ready by the time we host it here. So that’s not an issue,” he said.

Gill, however, believes that the ministry did not do the right thing by going by a few tournaments to demote the game.

K Jothikumaran, secretary, IHF, requested the government to reconsider its decision.

“This is a crucial juncture when our national game requires and deserves full support from the government and we hope the government will provide full support in all respects to help the team qualify for the Olympics,” he said.

Meanwhile, describing the decision to drop hockey from the Priority List as very unfortunate, Suresh Kalmadi, chairman, Organising Committee, 2010 Commonwealth Games, has urged the government to restore status quo.

“Hockey is India’s national game with a very rich legacy. It is going through a lean phase, but from all indications it is on a comeback trail. At this juncture, the Sports Ministry should support the sport instead of demoting or discouraging it,” he said.

Ipoh, May 10
Bubbling with new-found confidence and determined to continue their good run in the eight-nation event, India take on hosts Malaysia in the semifinals of the 16th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here tomorrow.

The young Indian team, led by a new captain and a new coach, has so far played more then what was expected of them but the semifinals would be altogether a different ball game and it remains to be seen how they soak up the pressure of the high-intensity match.

India had won a bronze in the last edition of the championship, showing signs of revival for the game in the country, before touching new low, including the disaster in Asian Games from where it returned empty-handed for the first time.

The win against Argentina yesterday, however, has boosted the team’s morale but coach Joaquim Carvalho believes his wards has a real challenge tomorrow.

“Last night’s win against Argentina was a huge boost for the team and we will be going into the semis against Malaysia with a great deal of confidence with the hope of giving another strong performance,” Carvalho told PTI.

Meanwhile, drag-flicker V Raghunath was today cleared to play tomorrow’s semifinal following a goof-up by tournament organisers whose records mistakenly showed Bimal Lakra receiving the yellow card instead of him.

Raghunath was shown the yellow card in the match against China and then again against Argentina, which should have led to his one-match suspension and missing the Malaysia match tomorrow.

Tournament director Ian Faulkner was shown a picture by the agency photographers which showed the umpire flashing the yellow card to Raghunath in the China match.

But to everybody’s surprise Faulkner revealed that the player listed as receiving the yellow card was Bimal Lakra, whose name on the Indian scoresheet was just above Raghunath’s.

In the other semifinal, Olympic champions Australia, who showed ominous form while routing China yesterday, are scheduled to meet Asian Games gold medallists Korea who ran into good form while ousting Pakistan 4-2 in their concluding league fixture.

“True, we played well and the players are settling down as a combination. But then, we have to remember that all the teams participating in this tournament are young and in the process of rebuilding. So, we should not get carried away by our performance, but work harder to improve further,” he said.

When asked about tomorrow’s semifinal game, Carvalho felt that it would be a much different game than the two practice matches they had played in Kuala Lumpur last week when India lost to Malaysia 1-0 and drew 1-1.

Semifinals: Australia vs Korea (3.35 pm); India vs Malaysia (5.35 pm). — PTI, UNI

Gurgaon, May 10
Chandigarh’s Ranjit Singh carded a six-under 66 to take the first round lead at the Rs 65 lakh DLF Masters Golf here today.

Jyoti Randhawa and Australia’s Richard Backwell were tied for second place at four-under 68.

C. Muniyappa and Gaurav Diwan tied at three-under 69, while Amardip Malik, Mukesh Kumar, Deepinder Kullar, Himmat Rai, Vijay Kumar were a stroke behind at two-under 70.

Naman Dawar, Harendra Gupta, SSP Chowrasia, MD Salim and Digvijay Singh were tied at one-under 71 after the first round.

Ghei shot a level-par 72 and is tied alongside Randhir Ghotra, Shamim Khan, M Dharma, Gurbaaz Mann and Shiv Kapur.

Ranjit Singh teed off from the 10th and birdied his very first hole. He picked up another birdie on the par-four 12th hole, but dropped a shot on the 13th. He recovered with birdies on the 14th and 17th holes to make the turn at three-under 33.

Ranjit then birdied the second, fifth and sixth holes, but dropped a stroke on the par-three eight hole. A final birdie on the par-five ninth hole saw him card a six-under 66.

Randhawa bogeyed the second hole of the day and then chipped to 15-feet and two-putted for a bogey. He recovered with a birdie on the par-three third but dropped a stroke on the fourth.

However, he made no errors thereafter and birdied the fifth, seventh, 10th, 17th and 18th holes to card a four-under 68.

Backwell started the day with a birdie on the first, but bogeyed the second. He dropped another shot on the fifth, once again hitting his ball into the right rough, but a birdie on the ninth saw him make the turn at level-par for the day.

The Australian then birdied the 15th and 17th holes, and an eagle on the last resulted in a four-under 68. — UNI

Chandigarh, May 10
Reetinder Sodhi slammed 63 as Indian Airlines defeated Punjab by 24 runs in the final of the hot-weather Sheesh Mahal cricket tournament at Lucknow today.

In the final played at K D Singh Babu Stadium, Vijay Dahia-led Indian Airlines emerged champions. Batting first, Indian Airlines notched up 175 for 6 in the stipulated 40 overs.

Down at 20 for three at one stage, they were rescued by former India ODI player Reetinder Sodhi, who played an important knock to enable his team reach formidable total.

Chasing the target, Punjab never got going and were bundled out for 151 runs in 38 overs. Former Haryana pace spearhead Vineet Jain claimed three wickets. Mohammad Kaif, bowling off-spin, took two wickets while Reetinder took one.

Reetinder was adjudged the man of the match.