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Bashar mounts fight with successive half centuries

Bangladeshi batsman Rajin Salah hits a boundary off Pakistani spin bowler Umar Gul during the fourth day of the first test match in Karachi, Saturday. Salah made 60 runs before being bowled out by Pakistani bowler Sabbir Ahmed. PHOTO: AFP

Bangladesh's Habibul Bashar scored successive half centuries Friday and made a gallant attempt to set up a challenging target for Pakistan in the first cricket Test in Karachi's National Stadium.

Bashar, who scored 71 in the first innings total of 288, showed a lot of maturity in the second outing too. His unbeatean 82 guided Bangladesh to 163 for three at close. It gave the visitors an overall lead of 105 runs after it conceded just 58 runs and bowled the home team out for 346.

Pakistan rued a missed chance when Bashar should have been caught off the first ball. He played a lose drive to speedster Shoaib Akhtar, but Yasir Hameed missed the catch in the slips.

Bangladesh lost all its top three batsmen to leg before decisions.

Javed Omar offered no stroke to Akhtar's inswinger after scoring 13. Hannan Sarkar, who put on 54 runs with Bashar, lost his wicket when he needlessly tried to sweep part-time spinner Mohammad Hafeez just before tea. Sanwar Hossain left the team reeling at 83 for three -- a lead of mere 25 -- when Shabbir Ahmad had him trapped in front of the wicket.

However, Bashar found a useful ally in debutante Razin Saleh and both batsmen ensured Bangladesh did not lose more wickets in the last session. They have so far put on 80 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket partnership. Bashar's innings included seven fours and he looked set for his second century in 22 Test matches when play resumes on Saturday.

Akhtar bowled in short spells but failed to shatter the confidence of either Bashar or Razin to end the day with one for 38. Hafeez was the most economical bowler for Pakistan as he gave away just nine runs off his 12 overs for the wicket of Sarkar.

Earlier, Pakistan failed to take a substantial lead when it resumed at the overnight of 301 for five. It lost the last five wickets with the addition of just 45 runs to some tight Bangladesh bowling.

Only captain Rashid Latif hung in for a defiant unbeatean 54 as Bangladesh seamers Tapash Baisya and Mashrafe bin Murtaza bowled to a much disciplined line and length. Misbahul Haq added just a run to his overnight 12 before he was adjudged leg before to Mashrafe in the eighth over of the day.

Left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique then took two quick wickets. He cleaned bowled Akhtar and had Ahmad caught bat and pad by Razin. Latif, who was watching his tailenders' departure from the other end, hit first boundary of the day in more than an hour's play off leg-spinner Alok Kapali.

Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mahmud, who had just one wicket in previous seven test matches with an astonishing average of 406 runs, at last added another scalp when Danish Kaneria got a leading edge and gave Mahmud a dolly catch. Although Rafique missed a hard caught and bowled chance off Latif, the Pakistan captain brought up his half century off the next delivery with a boundary.
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