Chittagong, May 22
Bangladesh refused to take up the gauntlet Indian captain Rahul Dravid had thrown down by his sporting declaration as the rain-marred first cricket Test petered out to a tame draw here today.

Set a victory target of 250 in 43 overs, the hosts never seemed anywhere close to the required asking rate and were 104 for two in their second innings when the match was called off with 15 overs still remaining to be bowled.

This is Bangladesh’s only fifth draw in the 45 Test matches they have played, which includes the lone win against Zimbabwe.

Opener Javed Omar remained unbeaten on a well-made 52, while Rajin Saleh was not out on seven as the two umpires dislodged the bails for the last time of the match that saw more than 15 hours of playing time lost due to rains.

The day’s action began three hours and 20 minutes late following overnight rains but Dravid infused life into what seemed like a hopelessly dead tie by declaring the Indian second innings at 100 for six only 48 minutes after the start.

Chasing the target, the hosts soon lost opener Shahriar Nafees (1) before Omar and skipper Habibul Bashar (37) played fluently to add 70 runs for the second wicket. But their aggression failed to meet the expectation of the sparse crowd at the Bir Sreshta Shahid Ruhul Amin stadium, who were looking forward to an explosive final session after the hosts reached 32 for one at tea.

The unproductive Test enabled Bangladesh to break India’s all-win record against them in Tests. The visitors won the maiden one-off Test in 2000, before winning both matches of a two-match Test series in 2004-05. Both sides now travel to Dhaka, where the second Test will be played at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla stadium from May 25.

Earlier, resuming at 44 for two, the Indians gave the charge to the host bowlers, obviously under instructions from the dressing room, and put on 56 runs in only 10 overs, albeit losing four wickets in the process.

The Indians stepped on the accelerator from the day’s opening over as Dinesh Karthik executed a sweetly timed pull to send Mashrafe Mortaza to the ropes.

However, Karthik got out to the same bowler in the third over of the afternoon, going in for a pull and only managing a top edge that ended up in the hands of Nefees at square leg.

Tendulkar (31) returned the next over, also trying to force the pace. The ageing willower tried to sweep left arm spinner Mohammad Rafique and dragged the ball onto his stumps.

Sourav Ganguly (13) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni continued the slog with the former pulling Mortaza first bounce into the fence but it was curtains for the left-hander in the next over of Rafique. The veteran spinner bowled one of a shorter length and Nafees took another catch standing at square leg.

Pacer Shahadat Hossain was introduced into the attack replacing Mortaza but next man in Ramesh Powar welcomed him with a cover driven four while Dhoni dispatched him over the square ropes leg for a six.

Debutante Powar, however, had to be satisfied with his second single digit knock of the match as he became Rafique’s third victim. Powar (6) danced down the track to the slow bowler, missed and Khaled Mashud, despite fumbling on the first attempt, managed to whip off the bails with the batsman having failed to regain the crease.

What a chance Bangladesh had to win the Test! Rahul Dravid’s declaration was more than a generous one, and it threw down the gauntlet at Bangladesh and challenged them to show that all the hoopla about them having made so much progress was fact and not just hype. Alas! What Bangladesh’s approach and attitude showed was that one swallow indeed does not make a summer.

In any case, one-day performances are seldom the indicator of a team’s progress for any team can have a bad day, and it’s only when a team starts beating others regularly that one can say that the team has arrived. India’s wins in the two one-dayers showed that what happened in the World Cup was one of those bad days for a better team and Bangladesh’s reluctance to even attempt to go for the target in Chittagong is a fair sign that there is much, much more to be done in the ‘temperament’ department for them to be feared as a Test team. Opportunities to put it across to better Test teams don’t come like this and Bangladesh’s timid mindset has let them down once again.

Just like the missed opportunity against World Champions Australia last year, this time too, the blame has to be put fairly and squarely on the skipper Habibul Bashar, though its fair to say he is not the strongest of captains like say Ricky Ponting is or Sourav Ganguly was, and so relies much on the advice he gets in the dressing-room. Fortunately for Bangladesh, that advice will not be there from the next series, and if the Bangla selectors show gumption and foresight, they will also relieve Bashar of the captaincy and utilise his experience as a batsman. Bashar has not been in the best of batting form, but who knows, relieved of the pressure of captaincy, he may find his touch again and help bolster the Bangladeshi batting.

There was no way Bangladesh could have been dismissed in the 43 overs that were available to them. It was a placid pitch for the new-ball bowlers, and with Kumble also not around, there was really no danger of Bangladesh losing all ten wickets. What was important was for Bangladesh to make a statement by looking to go for the target. They could have changed the batting order and given strokeplayers like Mohammed Ashraful the freedom to go and play his natural game. They could have sent the big-hitter Mashrafe Mortaza, who had batted so well in the first innings, to try some big shots and if they had lost these two big-hitters, they still had enough batting to save the Test, and with the light fading, they could have wasted enough time to deny India a win if it came to that. There simply wasn’t any tactical nous displayed, and while it is no secret that Bashar is not the greatest tactical captain, what was the dressing room doing? This was a chance to score a psychological win over big brother India and give them something to think about by going after the target. It was a wonderful chance to earn, nay demand, respect by chasing the target.

By showing neither the inclination nor the intention to even make a token attempt, Bangladesh may have got a draw, but they lost out on the chance to show the world that they have arrived as a Test nation. But maybe one is being too harsh on them. Maybe for a team that keeps losing Test matches regularly unless it’s against Zimbabwe, a draw is more like a win. Yes, maybe we are being harsh, because like everybody, we believe the hype that they have made progress. — PMG

Chittagong, May 22
Though India fielded five bowlers in the first Test against Bangladesh, skipper Rahul Dravid lamented the absence of veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble who did not bowl in the match due to a flu.

“There was a lot of time lost in the match. We needed Anil in the middle. He could have been a big factor. Unfortunately, he was not there,” Dravid said after the Test ended in a draw.

India had Bangladesh on the mat at 149 for eight in the first innings but squandered the advantage, allowing them to come back through Masrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain.

Asked about India’s sporting declaration in the second innings, giving Bangladesh an achievable target of 250 in 43 overs, Dravid said was his only hope to win the match.

“We wanted to make it interesting for everybody,” Dravid said on a lighter note.

“We wanted to have a crack at them for 40-45 overs. That was our only chance to have a go at them. We needed early wickets to keep them in check. The wicket was good till the end and they played sensibly,” he said.

He praised Dinesh Karthik and debutant Ramesh Powar for their efforts in the middle.

“He (Pawar) was bowling on his debut and did well. Karthik had a good Test match.”

Dravid said the pitch and Kumble’s fitness will be taken into consideration before deciding whether to field five bowlers in the second Test match which starts at Mirpur on Friday.

Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar said that their priority was to keep wickets intact early on during the run chase today. “They gave us a chance. We had to score. We did not wanted to lose early wickets,” he said.

“There has been lot of positives from the match. Mashrafe Mortaza played a fantastic innings. But our top order did not click in the first innings, probably because we were playing a Test match after a long time,” he said.

Every bowler is delighted to score a half-century with the bat, and man of the match Mortaza was no exception. “I enjoyed my batting. The wicket was not that good to ball on but we gave a good performance,” he said. — PTI

Karachi, May 22
Dope-tainted Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar was today dropped from the Asian XI team for the Afro-Asia Cricket Cup due to lack of fitness.

Asian Cricket Council selection committee member Mohsin Khan said the express bowler was dropped as he had not recovered from his knee injury.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board does not want to take a risk with his fitness as we are going to play some very crucial Test series this season against South Africa, India and Australia,” Mohsin said.

“I am disappointed that he cannot play because he is still not 100 per cent fit,” he added.

The three-match Afro-Asia Cup is scheduled from June 6 to 10 in India.

Earlier, Shoaib was picked for the Asia XI after he declared himself fit. The mercurial bowler has played just one Test and four one-dayers since February last year due to fitness problems.

Shoaib, later, stated that he might not play in the series due to family commitments but again did a volte-face and made himself available.

The tearaway pacer said he changed his mind after speaking to former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who felt the series would be a good opportunity to get back his fitness.

Meanwhile, Mohsin disclosed that selectors from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had opposed Shoaib’s inclusion in the squad on fitness grounds.

A PCB official supported the decision and said it was sensible to drop Shoaib instead of putting him in risk of another injury layoff. — PTI

London, May 22
The seven-week long World Cup in the West Indies courted sharp criticism from the Marylebone Cricket Club, which said that the quadrennial event should be played within a month’s time.

Offering several recommendations for better conduct of the show-piece event, the MCC World Cricket Committee, the framer and copyright holder of laws of the game, said the length of the prestigious tournament must be curtailed.

“The committee recommends that the cricket World Cup should last no longer than one month. The format of the tournament, which finished in the Caribbean last month after almost seven weeks, should be urgently reviewed with the intention of reducing the length of the next tournament, due to take place in 2011,” it said in a statement issued yesterday.

In order to limit the number of one-sided matches, the panel advocated participation of fewer teams in the event. “The number of participating nations should be reduced and the competition restructured to ensure fewer one-sided matches,” it said.aTaking note of the farcical final match of the tournament played in the Caribbean, the MCC body said: “Every effort should be made to ensure that the World Cup final be played over 50 overs, even if this means going into a second or third day.” — PTI

Jalandhar, May 22
Star athlete Manjit Kaur is back in the city after undergoing a training course in South Africa.

Speaking to The Tribune, Manjit, who till date has gathered kudos for her superb performance in 400m, said the concept of sending promising athletes to foreign shores for training has helped a lot in changing the outlook of the players.

“Not only has it given a positive signal that the federation is with the athletes but also that they are interested in improving the performance of their players,” she added.

Talking about the level of coaching, Manjit said during training, athletes from various countries compete against each other. “Not only do we get to know about their level of performance but also assess our position and performance in comparison to them,” said Manjit.

“While in South Africa, apart from the track training, stress was also laid on hill running, sand running and grass running. During the off season, we practise running and as the competition season starts, I would concentrate on my start,” said Manjit who would be going to Poland for the next round of training and competitions.

“My next target is to bag a medal at the forthcoming Asian Track and Field Championship scheduled to be held in Lebanon in July,” said Manjit.

Istanbul, May 22
Struggling to find form after a long lay-off, Sania Mirza lost to Meghann Shaughnessy of USA 4-6, 3-6 in the first round to crash out of the Istanbul Cup here today.

Sania, who lost in the opening round of the Morocco Open last week in her first tournament after injury, failed to find her rhythm besides having to lose crucial points to the American opponent’s half a dozen aces, three each in the two sets, to the Indian’s one in the whole match.

After conceding the first set 4-6 to her lower-ranked opponent, the 20-year-old Hyderabadi lost direction and committed four service double faults to the American’s one in the second set to lose it 3-5 and the match in one hour and 21 minutes in the $2,00,000 Tier III event. — UNI

New Delhi, May 22
The statistics of the 11th National Football League have yet again pointed to a worrying trend in the country that has caused a lot of misery in recent times - the lack of quality strikers.

Only three Indians figure in the list of top 10 goalscorers, which is led by Nigerian Odafe Onyeka Okolie of Churchill Brothers with 18 goals.

Compatriot Ranti Martins, who played a pivotal role in Dempo Sports Club, Goa, clinching their second NFL title, came second with 16 strikes. Brazilian Edmilson Marques followed with 13 goals.

In fact, no Indian could find a spot higher than fifth, which JCT’s Sunil Chetri (12 goals) shared with his Nigerian team-mate Chidi Edeh.

Only Air-India’s Samson Singh (seventh place with nine goals) and Dempo’s Anthony Pereira (10th with six goals) found themselves in the elite list.

The top 10 is dominated by Nigerians with as many as four of them featuring in the list, the fourth being Dudu Macpherlin of Sporting Clube de Goa, who was fourth with 13 goals.

The other Brazilian in the top 10 is Dempo playmaker Robert Mendes Silva, popularly known as ‘Beto’, who contributed seven goals.

Last season’s champions Mahindra United could not recreate the same magic and it is reflected in the fact that they have only one player in the top 10 goalscorers’ chart - Ghanain Andrews P Mensah (11 goals).

In contrast, champions Dempo have three representatives while JCT have two.

Incidentally, star forward Bhaichung Bhutia, who has dominated the Indian football scene for a decade-and-a-half, did not find a place in the top 10 with only four goals. His strike partner, Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto (5 goals), both of whom were supposed to strike big for Mohun Bagan, also failed to set the stands on fire.

As a result, the Kolkata giants finished as low as eighth this time around.

From the aspect of discipline, Mohammedan Sporting, who got relegated, were the worst offenders courting 27 of the 208 yellow cards served in the tournament. Mohun Bagan players also got two of the seven direct red cards.

JCT, who recovered from a slow start to finish second in the league, turned out to be the most disciplined side with Sukhwinder Singh’s men seeing only nine yellow cards and no red card in their 18 matches. — PTI

Harinder enters last four
Chennai: India’s Harinderpal Singh has entered the semifinals of the NSC Satellite tournament at Kuala Lumpur. In a 46-minute encounter, Harinder defeated the second seed and local favourite Nafiizwan Adnan 11-9, 11-6, 11-9.A press note from the Squash Rackets Federation of India said here that Harinder would be playing his first PSA tour semifinal against third seed Nafzahizam Adnan, brother of Nafiizwan. Earlier in the event, Harinder defeated sixth seed David Vidal.Indians, who did not make it past the first round included Naresh Kumar, Surbhi Misra, and Anwesha Reddy, the release added. — PTI

Sonn gravely ill
Durban: International Cricket Council president Percy Sonn is gravely ill in hospital after surgery, his personal assistant said on Tuesday.“He is critically ill,” George Hector told Reuters from Cape Town. “He was admitted to hospital on May 14 for serious but routine surgery, but complications set in afterwards and he has deteriorated since then.” “He is heavily sedated at the moment and unable to communicate,” he added. — Reuters

India win bronze
Patiala: In the recently concluded Asian Judo Championship in Kuwait, India managed to win a bronze medal through Tombi Devi (CRPF) in 48 kg category.Navjot Chana from the Punjab police was unlucky to lose against Donbay Bazarbek from Kazakhstan in 60 kg category due to poor refereeing, which was later regretted by the technical committee, according to J.G. Sharma, chief coach of the Indian contingent. Thirty countries participated in the championship. — UNI

Chess tourney
Jalandhar: Bhavneet, Neetu Uppal, Sonam and Arshleen Ahluwalia would be representing Punjab in the National Women B Chess Championship scheduled to be held from May 21st at Hyderabad. The team was selected during the Punjab Women Chess Championship held at Tarn Taran.Meanwhile, the calendar for the forthcoming chess tourneys was released by the Punjab State Chess Association. Punjab A Chess Championship would be held at Fatehgarh Sahib from June 1. Ten players selected during the championship along with the four seeded players from last year would be representing the state in during the 45th National B Class Championship to be held from June 10 in Tamil Nadu. — TNS