Sourav Ganguly to India's rescue; Sehwag

Sourav Ganguly to India's rescue; Sehwag fails once again S. Ram Mahesh

KNIFE'S EDGE: Opener Sourav Ganguly held the innings together after India had lost four wickets for just 72 runs in its opening World Cup encounter against Bangladesh at Port of Spain on Saturday. Rahul Dravid's side recovered through an 85-run partn ership between Ganguly (66) and Yuvraj Singh (47). India had made 158 for 6 in 43.2 overs. — Photo: AFP Port of Spain: Mashrafe Mortaza's twin strike, augmented by two wickets Bangladesh's left-arm spinners winkled out, left India reeling at 98 for four in 33 overs here on Saturday. Sourav Ganguly (41) and Yuvraj Singh (13) were involved in rebuilding. Virender Sehwag (2), Robin Uthappa (9), Sachin Tendulkar (7), and Rahul Dravid (14) were the batsmen dismissed. Dravid's luck with the toss preceded a torrid period for India's batsmen at the Queen's Park Oval. Mortaza made admirable use of conditions ideal for seam bowling. The early start ensured moisture and cut, the firm track guaranteed carry. Silent homage

PRIZE SCALP: Sachin Tendulkar falls to Abdur Razzak, caught behind by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim on Saturday. — PHOTO: AFP The Group B match — India's campaign opener — had started on a sombre note. The teams and the match officials lined up outside the pavilion and paid silent homage to Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Manjurul Islam, 22, who had died in a road accident. The air hung heavy. But, soon the action in the middle took over. Mortaza looped the ball to mid on by way of warm up. This preliminary action was so far removed from the jiggle-and-stretch routine most fast bowlers adopt that the sharp pace of the first delivery took everyone by surprise. Sourav Ganguly evaded it by twitching his hips inside the line, but it whistled through at just under 140 kmph. Then, in a moment of tip and run, the players enacted what could have found place on a rugby field. Ganguly did the tipping he was met by an apologetic shoulder tackle from Mortaza, the bowler, as he ran. Meanwhile Sehwag endeavouring to make his ground was taken off his feet by Aftab Ahmed. The third umpire ruled Sehwag's heel had landed favourably. And all was well; temporarily. Good speed
Mortaza bowls like a man his size should. Often one sees big, rough-hewn men resort to the subterfuge of spin. Not Mortaza. His run up, gather, and delivery scream strength. One bouncer, registered at 144 kmph, singed keeper Mushfiqur Rahim's gloves. Ganguly barely had time to duck. But, don't for a moment think it's unrefined muscle and bustle. Mortaza cut one back at pace, Sehwag chopped it on. Six for one. Mortaza's partner on Saturday was the considerably slower Syed Rasel. Rasel, wheedling and treacherous, and Mortaza, mean and threatening, pulled off a canny good-cop-bad-cop act. Lefty and skilled both at cutting it across the right-hander and at shaping it minimal wobble of the seam away from the left-hander, Rasel troubled Uthappa and Ganguly. Uthappa clipped Rasel off his knee for India's first boundary. But, Mortaza had him caught, carving one that hinted away to point. Sachin Tendulkar climbed calmly down the carpeted steps connecting the dressing room to the field, wriggled his fingers into gloves, and joined Ganguly to survey conditions. They were tricky. Tendulkar worked Mortaza to leg, but it wasn't to be his day. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, brought on in the 15th over, slipped one on to the considerable inside edge of the great man's bat. Softened off the pneumatic Tendulkar pad, the edge popped nicely for Rahim. Forty for three. Never the sort to let up on such a ripe opportunity, journalists made unkind references to how tough it was to get air tickets changed at this stage. Ganguly, who had ridden Mortaza's bounce well, was hanging in. Not pretty by any standard let alone his high one for off-side strokes, Ganguly seemed to delight in the stoush. He had charged Mortaza to no avail. He scowled, but didn't give in. Runs at a premium Runs were at a premium. The four overthrows Bangladesh conceded was gravy. Ganguly followed it by cutting the next ball behind point for four his first stroke of authority. Dravid wrapped his bat around a fine flick, but, in 20 overs, India had made just 60. Habibul Bashar briefly yoked his left-arm spinners, Razzak and Saqibul Hasan. Surprisingly, considering the strength of Bangladesh's position, Ganguly was confronted with a four-man infield. Perhaps Ganguly's reputed fondness for left-arm spin played a part. Runs trickled in with fewer risks, and just as it seemed a phase of milking the bowlers would set in, Bashar brought on Mohammad Rafique. Dravid played around his front pad; Rafique's delivery seemed headed only one way. Dravid's quick walk suggested displeasure whether at the decision or at his stroke was unclear. Yuvraj strolled in to start against spin, his least preferred method of commencing an innings.

India decided to play four specialist bowlers. Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan, S. Sreesanth, and Dinesh Karthik (twelfth man) were omitted.

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