Dhaka, May 26
India established a vice-like grip as they plucked out the top half of the Bangladesh batting order for a meagre 58 after posting a massive first innings total on day two of the second Test here today.

Bangladesh’s inexperience of playing Test cricket showed off as they seemed to be wilting under the pressure after India declared their first essay at 610 for three, a run feast featuring four centuries by its top order.

At stumps, Bangladesh were tottering at 58 for five with Saqibul Hasan (30) and Mohammad Sharif (0) in the middle.

The hosts — still needing 353 runs to make India bat again — could have been in a worse situation, but for the butter-fingered Indian fielders, who spilled as many as three chances during an action-packed last session at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Earlier today, resuming at the overnight score of 326 for no loss, India declared their marathon innings 53 minutes into the post-tea session, with each of their first four batsmen cracking hundreds.

Skipper Rahul Dravid got 129, Sachin Tendulkar (122) grafted to his 37th ton in the longer version of the game and young talent Dinesh Karthik resumed his unfinished knock to score his maiden Test hundred (129) to add to Wasim Jaffer’s opening day ton (138 retired hurt).

After having fielded for more than 11 hours under the blazing sun, the Bangladesh batting came unstuck as Indian new ball bowlers Zaheer Khan and R. P .Singh bowled some decent stuff, reducing the hosts to seven for four midway into the third over.

Zaheer started the rot, getting rid of opener Javed Omar (0) with the opening ball of the innings. The Baroda left-arm pacer bowled a probing line outside the off stump and the batsmen needled tentatively to manage an edge which went straight to Karthik at third slip.

Bangladesh had further jitters in the second over when skipper Habibul Bashar (4) was all at sea against the extra bounce generated by a short ball from R. P. Singh and the thin edge finished in the hands of wicketkeeper M. S. Dhoni.

In his next over, Zaheer dismissed the other opener Shahriar Nafees (2) with an unplayable ball that swung a bit after pitching on the middle stump and crashed through the gate to uproot the stumps.

Zaheer saw the back of vice captain Mohammad Ashraful (0) with the next ball that cut back sharply and had the willower plumb leg before.

The seasoned Indian pacer was on a hat-trick but squandered the golden opportunity with a rank half-volley which Saqibul thrashed through the cover boundary.

There was no let-up in the drama as Zaheer’s next delivery saw Saqib attempt a drive and manage only a thick edge but Dinesh Karthik floored the low catch at third slip.

Karthik was the culprit yet again in the next over when he dived to his left to make a futile effort to grip an edge offered by Rajin Saleh which was flying to the waiting hands of second slip fielder Sourav Ganguly.

Saqib, on 18, got another life in the eighth over when Ramesh Powar floored a low catch at point.

Anil Kumble was soon introduced into operation and the veteran leg-spinner succeeded with his fourth ball as Saleh (20) failed to read the top spinner and Jaffer took the catch at forward short leg.

Earlier, the Indian willowers continued to torment the Bangladeshi bowlers and the morning session yielded 116 runs.

Dravid completed his 24th Test century 25 minutes into the day’s play — the landmark coming off 144 deliveries — with an elegant cover driven four off Mortaza.

Having added 127 runs with Tendulkar, Dravid was snared by Mohammad Rafique after a 242-minute knock that included 15 boundaries as also a six.

Scoreboard

India (1st innings)

Karthik c Bashar b Mortaza 129

Jaffer retired hurt 137

Dravid c Omar b Rafique 129

Sachin not out 122

Sourav c Rajen b Rafique 15

Dhoni not our 51

Extras (b-7, lb-7, w-5, nb-7) 26

Total (3 wkts dec, 153 overs) 610

FoW: 1-408, 2-493, 3-525.

Bowling: Mortaza 31.4-4-100-1, Rasel 23.4-0-109-0, Sharif 25.4-2-109-0, Rafique 45-3-181-2, Shaikb 19-1-62-0, Ashraful 8-0-35-0.

Bangladesh (1st innings)

Omar c Karthik b Zaheer 0

Nafees b Zaheer 2

Bashar c Dhoni b R.P. Singh 4

Saleh c Jaffer b Kumble 20

Ashraful lbw Zaheer 0

Hasan batting 30

Sharif batting 0

Extras (lb-1, nb-1) 2

Total (5 wkts, 16 overs) 58

FoW: 1-0, 2-5, 3-7, 4-7, 5-40.

Bowling: Zaheer 5-1-20-3, R. P. Singh 5-0-19-1, Kumble 3-1-13-1, Ishant 3-1-5-0. — PTI

Mumbai, May 26
The BCCI has called 14 bowlers and 15 batsmen for training camps to be held next month in Mysore and Bangalore ahead of selecting the team for Ireland and England tours.

The bowlers’ camp will be held from June 4-8 at the Infosys Campus in Mysore and the batsmen’s camp from June 9-12 at the National Cricket Academy.

These camps would be followed by a conditioning camp for the players selected for Ireland and England tours (on June 12) at the NCA from June 13-16, a BCCI release said today.

Among those selected for the batsmen’s camp is Mohd Kaif, largely out of favour with the selectors recently, while Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar and Irfan Pathan - ignored for the Bangladesh tour - have got the nod for the bowlers’ camp.

Leg spinner Piyush Chawla and medium pacer V Yo Mahesh have not been included in the bowlers’ camp as they would be leaving for training at the Australian Cricket Academy on June 2.

Bowlers camp (June 4-8 at Mysore): Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, V. R. V. Singh, Ishant Sharma, S. Sreesanth, Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, Ranadeb Bose, Munaf Patel, Anil Kumble, Ramesh Powar, Rajesh Pawar, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Oza.

Batsmen’s camp (June 9-12 at Bangalore): Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Wasim Jaffer, V. V. S. Laxman, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Mongia, M. S. Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Mohd Kaif, S. Badrinath and Yuvraj Singh. — PTI

Thiruvananthapuram, May 26
Former BCCI secretary SK Nair today resigned as president of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) after his shocking defeat in the district cricket association elections.

Announcing his decision at a press conference, Nair alleged his defeat was the result of a conspiracy involving “some vested interests” who were upset about his stern stand on transparency in the financial affairs of the state body.

“For the first time in the district elections, people with vested interests, including some coaches and umpires, had come and worked to ensure my defeat as representative of the district association to the KCA,” he said.

Nair said he was deeply pained that he alone on his panel was defeated while all others from his camp were elected.

Nair had served as BCCI secretary from 2001 to 2004.

Before that, he had served as financial control committee chairman and treasurer of the BCCI for five years. He was also a member of the Asian Cricket Council for three years.

In the KCA, he had been holding positions of president or secretary for the past 15 years.

A former bank officer, Nair had served as treasurer of the Kerala Sports Council for five years. — PTI

Kirishi, May 26
World’s youngest Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi marched his way back to joint lead after splitting point with International Master Eduard Gorovykh of Russia in the ninth round of the World Youth Stars Chess tournament here.

Overnight leader GM Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia was comprehensively beaten by GM Sergei Zhigalko of Belarus.

Nepomniachtchi’s loss was a gain for Negi and world junior champion Zaven Andriasian of Armenia as the two caught up with the Russian on six points.

With only two rounds to come in the category-12 event featuring some of the finest talents in the world, it could be anyone’s title with IM Avetik Grigoryan also breathing down the neck of the leaders on 5.5 points.

Negi played a positional game with his black pieces against Gorovykh and the Russian did not give many chances to his opponent in this keenly contested and long drawn affair.

The opening was a Ruy Lopez wherein Gorovykh attained just a level position in the closed variation. Long manoeuvring ensued soon after the queens got traded as both players continued for an elusive hunt to find weaknesses in other’s camp.

Interestingly, the last piece got traded on move 22 in the game and till the end thereafter, that came on 64th move, the position remained almost same with no further exchanges.

Nepomniachtchi finally met his nemesis in Zhigalko, who went for the Advance variation to beat the leader. It was almost a one-sided affair after Zhigalko attained a superior position in the middle game.

Winning a queen side pawn in the final stages, Zhigalko had the full point in quick time.

In other games, Andriasian was held to a draw by Lintchevsky who came up with a desirable show.

Falko Bindrich of Germany surprised Kuzubov with his tactical ability to register a fine victory while Rauf Mamedov played out a draw with Grigoryan.

Nepomniachtchi next faces Daniil Lintchevsky of Russia and Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine while Negi takes on Zhigalko and Ivan Popov of Russia. — PTI

Paris, May 26
Rafael Nadal will begin constructing a new winning streak on clay when he steps out for his first round tie at the French Open, but he doubts he will ever match the 81 straight wins that ended in the Hamburg Masters final against Roger Federer.

That loss almost came as a relief to the soon-to-be 21-year-old Spaniard who had strung together the longest-ever winning streak on any surface over two and a half years.

“Eightyone victories consecutive on clay is a record that is difficult to improve, no?” he said as he finetuned his preparations for this year’s tournament at Roland Garros.

“It’s difficult someway to improve that record. But, well well, I am going to start another one. But I think the chances is like this,” he said pinching his thumb and forefinger closely together.

Nadal is the defending champion at Roland Garros and a win in two weeks time would make him the first man since Bjorn Borg (1978-81) to win three in a row in Paris.

It would also for another year ruin Roger Federer’s hopes of carrying off the fabled Grand Slam of tennis just as he did last year.

Not that will in anyway upset Nadal who is all youthful charm and innocence off court but a programmed killer whenever he is in action.

Federer, he says, is the player he gets on best with outside of the Spanish clan that is omnipresent at tournaments on the ATP tour.

He has even apparently joined the Federer court on ATP matters and talks on the future of the sport and beams that the two can discuss more freely because “my English is improving every year.”

But he has a warning for the Swiss superstar that the defeat in Hamburg has in no way affected his confidence coming into Paris. — AFP

London, May 26
Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya will lead the MCC team which will play the West Indies at the Racecourse Ground, Durham, from June 1-3.

“I am greatly looking forward to leading this young team against the West Indians at Durham. Few young players will have such an opportunity to play against quality opposition and I am sure that the students will make the most of it,” Jayasuriya was quoted as saying in ECB website.

Jayasuriya, who revolutionised one-day international batting with his aggressive tactics during the 1996 cricket World Cup, added “The match will be a big challenge, but I am confident that we will be able to perform well against the touring team.”

The MCC team will also include former MCC Young Cricketer Will Porterfield, who represented Ireland in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup and YC Lee Hodgson, who came on as a substitute for Matthew Hoggard during the Lord’s Test match.

The rest of the team will be made up of MCC Young Cricketers and players who are studying at MCC Universities - the six university centres of cricketing excellence which are funded exclusively by the MCC.

MCC head of cricket John Stephenson, said, “I am delighted that we have been able to appoint a player with Sanath’s experience as captain for this fixture.” — UNI

Monaco, May 26
Defending double drivers’ world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain today grabbed pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old McLaren Mercedes-Benz driver, who won last year’s race for Renault, snatched the prime grid starting position with a late fast lap to outpace his team-mate, 22-year-old British rookie Lewis Hamilton, the leader of the title race.

The pair will start alongside each other on the front row. It is Alonso’s first pole position of the season and the 16th of his career.

Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa was third fastest ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella who qualified fourth in a Renault. German-born Nico Rosberg was fifth for Williams and will share the third row with Australian Mark Webber in a Red Bull.

German Nick Heidfeld was seventh ahead of his BMW Sauber team-mate Pole Robert Kubica with the Honda pair Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Briton Jenson Button ninth and 10th.

After several days of fine, warm weather, today was cold, wet and windy. The morning practice, topped by German Adrian Sutil in a Spyker, was run in rain-hit conditions and the afternoon qualifying - so decisive on this cramped street circuit - began in similar unpredictable conditions.

The first part-session of qualifying was topped by a clearly in-form drivers’ leader Hamilton. — AFP