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Bangladesh in famous victory

March 18, 2007 08:30am

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By N.Ananthanarayanan

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters) - India will be anxious to get their opening World Cup match behind them when they face an improving Bangladesh in Group B later on Saturday.

The 1983 champions are wary of their eastern neighbours who have taken determined steps since looking out of depth in the last World Cup in South Africa.

"We haven't played them for a long time but on the last tour we lost a (one-day) game there," Indian skipper Rahul Dravid told reporters on Friday.

Bangladesh stunned Pakistan during their World Cup debut tournament in 1999 but failed to win any of their six games four years later where India reached the final.

They have since beaten India, Australia and Sri Lanka in one-dayers.

"They are sort of pulling away from Zimbabwe and others and rather getting closer to this pack," Dravid said.

UPSET WIN

Habibul Bashar's young team are buoyed entering their third World Cup following their upset win over New Zealand in a warm-up game.

India, with a billion fans breathing down their necks, cannot afford to slip up as the group also involves contenders Sri Lanka, who thrashed debutants Bermuda by 243 runs on Thursday, the second biggest victory margin in Cup history.

"People have started respecting Bangladesh," Bashar said. "We are the underdogs but if we get chances we should take them."

Pakistan are under pressure as they face debutants Ireland in their must-win second Group D game in Kingston, Jamaica.

The 1992 champions lost by 54 runs to hosts West Indies in the opening game chasing 242 after their top order batsmen failed.

Ireland, on the other hand, are brimming with confidence after pulling off Thursday's thrilling tie against Zimbabwe.

"Because of the defeat against the West Indies this next game is not going to be as easy as people think but we will go out and play hard and give it our best shot," Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq said.

By N.Ananthanarayanan

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters) - Bangladesh bowlers jolted Indian World Cup hopes after bowling them out for 191 in their opening Group B clash on Saturday.

Paceman Mashrafe Mortaza scalped four and left-arm spinners Mohammad Rafique and Abdur Razzak took three wickets apiece to strangle India on a good batting pitch after skipper Rahul Dravid elected to bat.

It was India's lowest one-day total against Bangladesh.

Opener Saurav Ganguly struck 66 and stayed on till the 44th over to prop up his team, adding 85 for the fifth wicket with Yuvraj Singh (47).

Bangladesh bowlers then snapped up five wickets for two runs to reduce the innings to 159 for nine before the last wicket pair of Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel put on 32 runs.

Bangladesh, with just four victories over the top eight ranked teams, appeared set for a famous fifth after leaving India reeling in the morning.

Mortaza grabbed two wickets bowling in tandem with left-arm paceman Syed Rasel, who gave away just 31 runs in a single 10-over spell.

Mortaza, 23, forced struggling opener Virender Sehwag to chop an in-coming ball on to the stumps for two runs before Robin Uthappa (9) edged a loose drive to point to make it 21 for two in the seventh over.

Sehwag, whose horrible form continued, was almost run out in the first over and now has scored just one fifty in his last 14 innings going back to October.

Spinner Razzak replaced Mortaza and claimed the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar (7) off the last ball of his first over, making it 40-3 after 15 overs.

The premier batsman, playing in his fifth World Cup, edged a drive onto his pads to be caught by teenaged stumper Mushfiqur Rahim on second attempt.

Skipper Rahul Dravid (14) was trapped leg before by 36-year-old Rafique, the third spinner brought into the attack.

Bangladesh kept things tight with their superb fielding.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters) - Bangladesh produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history with a five-wicket victory over India in a Group B game on Saturday.

The unfancied team bowled out India's formidable line-up for 191 on a good batting pitch -- their lowest one-day total against Bangladesh -- before romping to victory.

Left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal smashed 51 for his maiden half-century in only his fifth one-dayer before Bangladesh reached the target in 48.3 overs.

Fellow left-hander Saqibul Hasan (53) put on 84 runs for the fourth wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim, who was 56 not out, helping Bangladesh achieve only their second win over India in 15 meetings.

Bangladesh emulated their famous victory over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, underlining their progress after failing to win a single game in South Africa four years ago where India were finalists.

It was their third victory in World Cups having also beaten Scotland in 1999.

The defeat plunged Indian hopes into disarray from the toughest group which 1996 champions Sri Lanka are favoured to top after crushing debutants Bermuda in their first game.

Bangladesh paceman Mashrafe Mortaza struck two early blows to claim four for 38 before left-arm spinners Mohammad Rafique and Abdur Razzak left Indian batsmen parched for runs to take three wickets apiece in their superb team effo

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNe ws&storyID=2007-03-18T025652Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-2 91379-4.xml

Bangladesh stun India by 5wkts

VICTORY SALUTE: Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim, right, Mohammad Ashraful celebrate their team's victory over.

PORT OF SPAIN: Bangladesh has produced one of the biggest shocks in the World Cup with a five-wicket victory over India in a Group B game.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3997113a1823.html

Points Table

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - Several former players have called for India batsman Virender Sehwag to be dropped after the opener's woeful form continued in the side's shock World Cup defeat to Bangladesh in Trinidad on Saturday.

The 28-year-old batsman looked unsure in the middle and lasted just six deliveries of India's Group B opener before dragging a Mashrafe Mortaza delivery onto his stumps in the third over to be dismissed for two, triggering a collapse.

"Before this match I believed he should be tried. But the way he got out, I am in two minds whether he should be persisted with on past performances," former captain Ajit Wadekar told Reuters on Sunday.

Winners in 1983 and finalists in the last tournament, India need to win their remaining two matches against Bermuda on Monday and former champions Sri Lanka on Friday to be sure of advancing to the Super-Eight phase.

Sehwag has hit just one fifty in his last 14 innings and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar had disclosed recently that the player was only picked for the World Cup at the specific request of skipper Rahul Dravid.

"Bermuda could be the last chance for him, for when he clicks he is a match-winner, else he should be sent back to domestic cricket," Wadekar said.

A fierce striker of the ball, Sehwag made a name as a destructive batsman and scored all his seven centuries and 21 of his 24 fifties as an opener, but the form-slump had almost cost him his World Cup place.

Former chief selector Kiran More told Reuters on Sunday that Sehwag should be rested and Robin Uthappa, who batted at number three against Bangladesh, open in his place.

"A good start is very important. I think (Robin) Uthappa should open and Rahul (Dravid) should bat at number three as he is one who can carry the innings," More said.

More said Dravid batting at number three would lend the much needed balance to the line-up.

"If Rahul comes at four or five he is putting a lot of pressure on himself. I think Rahul will make a lot of difference at three. We need someone to stay out there."