Tamim Iqbal orchestrates brilliant fight back by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Scorecard:	Bangladesh v India
Player:	MS Dhoni, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique
Event:	India in Bangladesh 2009/10

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DateLine: 26th January 2010

 

Tamim Iqbal hammered a brilliant 151 as the Indian bowling came under enormous pressure as the hosts battled to save the second and final Test.

 

Mohammad Ashraful (2) and Shahadat (2) were in the middle at stumps with the hosts still trailing by 83 runs behind India, who had declared their first innings at 544 for eight.

 

Tamim played positive cricket and took the Indian attack by the scruff of its neck. The opener needed 101 balls to hammer the fastest Test century by a Bangladesh batsman. The left handed duo went on to add 200 runs for the second wicket -- highest by a Bangla pair for any wicket and against any opposition -- to lead the home side's resistance. Zaheer Khan (3/63), who had removed Imrul Kayes (5) in the morning to draw first blood, dismissed both Junaid and Tamim in his successive overs towards the end.

 

After India's 52 overs of toiling without success, Zaheer broke the stand when he removed Junaid caught behind four overs before close of play. Nine balls later and in the penultimate over of the day, Tamim edged a Zaheer delivery to Dhoni to perish in the same manner.

 

Earlier, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (89) became the fifth Indian batsman to score 50-plus in the innings as India declared their first essay at 544 for eight. Yuvraj Singh, nursing a wrist injury, did not bat and has been ruled out of the match.

 

Dhoni had to shepherd the tailenders and he did it admirably well for the whole of the morning session which saw 30.1 overs being bowled. India added just 85 runs in the session, as Dhoni shunned singles and scored mostly in boundaries or twos to shield the tailenders.

 

Dhoni was out at the stroke of scheduled lunch time. He faced 167 balls and hit nine fours and two sixes in his 89-run knock, his 17th Test half century in his 41st match. He shared a crucial 51-run stand for the seventh wicket with Ishant Sharma (13) to take Indian score past 500. For India, all the specialist batsmen -- barring Murali Vijay (30) -- made 50-plus knocks.