*Official* India in Bangladesh

[Uppercut]

Very happy that Bangladesh is showing real signs of improvement.

Will have to wait until after their first innings to make a full judgment, though.

Yeah, good performance on the first day and all, but test matches last for five. I wholeheartedly promise that if they do manage to win this test I'll start gushing unprecedented amounts of praise for them.

 

[Jayzamann]

As long as the fountain of Shakib love doesn't stop flowing in this thread, all will be well.

Shakiiiiiiib <3

 

[G.I.Joe]

I'm gonna puke. Why don't you all change your locations to the Precambrianesque "In Shakib's bed" and be done with it?

 

[Aritro]

Is Mortaza injured?

............ and what has become of Aftab Ahmed?

Mortaza has a bung knee that's kept him out of action and one of our selectors suggested recently, off the record, that he'll soon be announcing his retirement from Test cricket.

Aftab Ahmed was back in the ODI squad for the tri-series but didn't get a game. He's not in the squad for the test series, and I'm pretty happy about it to be honest. Our regular lads have spent the last 12-18 months developing a level of maturity and toughness that our ICL returnees don't have a hope of achieving for a little while yet.

And even when he was in the side, Aftab was always one of the most impetuous and unreliable players in a team full of such players, and has never even hinted at the prospect that he might have it in him to be any sort of Test cricketer in future.

 

[Jono]

Yeah the other side of me is really scared that Bangladesh are going to get steamrolled tomorrow

Fear not.

After India were 3 down I loaded up a lot of cash on India. Figured VVS and Sachin would allow a recovery and thought $1.40 were great odds.

India are currently $1.51

Have a bad feeling. Logic says there is plenty of time for India to come back and win this, and perhaps comfortably. But I have that bad feeling because of the fact I have money on it.

 

[Aritro]

We've got a horrendous record of finishing the job in the morning session after we've got a team reeling at 7 or 8 down the previous day. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes us most of the first session to bowl them out.

 

[andyc]

Yeah, great day for the Tigers and all but some here need a bit of perspective IMO. Not the first time Bangladesh have done well for a day or two of a Test match, and they're still pretty short on wins...

Edit: Geez, I know that Dravid playing all around it makes it look a bit better, but that was a nice ball from Shahadat. Gem of an outswinger.

 

[Nate]

Having Setanta.

Deadset, I love a fired up Shads. What a guy. And Shakib continue to impress. Easily one of my favourite Test Match days ever, awesome.

 

[Pratters]

Nafees is back!

Yeah good to see

I am a big fan of Shahriar Nefees' playing style so good to see him back.

 

[Pratters]

Just saw the score card 5 minutes back. Great to see India struggling here. I hope Bangladesh take 20 test wickets and embarass India after Sehwag's comments.

 

[Pratters]

And BTW, for the record, India is owned without Sachin. Lost to Zimbabwe in 99 and in 2010 lost to Sri Lanka in the tri series final. Yet again Sachin scraping India through, barely though.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

We did this against SA last year I think (or maybe the year before?) and then got smashed in the end. I'd put money on India if I was a betting man, think they could very well outscore Bangladesh in the first innings.

EDIT: Actually I wouldn't, bookies obviously thinking the same way. Still 5/1 on a Bangla victory.

 

[funnygirl]

Too much arrogance and confidence hurting India.That statement from Sehwag has really fired up the Bangla boys.

 

[pasag]

First time I've ever enjoyed a Cricinfo headline:

"Bangladesh all over ordinary India"

 

[silentstriker]

Haha, loving this - and cricinfo's headline. Eat that Sehwag.

Like Gilly's knock vs. Bangaldesh, it'd be quite unfair to remove this knock by Sachin when looking at stats.

On another note, Yuvraj - you beauty. I hope selectors have their eyes open.

 

[silentstriker]

Indeed, certainly does not help that we are missing MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh who often score key runs at number seven and eight respectively (one, somewhat more than the other, of course).

Actually, what we're missing is a batsman in the spot where Yuvraj is 'batting'.

 

[Jayzamann]

Heyy I'm glad I'm not the only one with my wtf face on when I saw Yuvraj on that scorecard.

 

[Anil]

Also, Bangladesh have beaten Zimbabwe before, spose that was a club-level match.

absolutely! is there any doubt? it was a zimbabwe club side for sure...don't remember if taibu was playing, if he was he was probably the only one remotely approaching international quality...those "wins" are incredibly overhyped...none of them were meaningful wins in the context of test cricket...

 

[Anil]

On another note, Yuvraj - you beauty. I hope selectors have their eyes open.

no way, he will make a meaningless 50 somewhere and that will be enough to tide him over for the next few tests...since we play so few tests and so many odis, he will have a few heroic one day innings as well that will add "weight" to the "argument" that he is good enough for tests...he is like a really, really poor man's(more like a homeless man's) bevan...the only difference is that the aussie selectors figured out bevan early and used him to maximum effect where he was really good...the indian selectors still seem to be blinded by yuvraj's glamor(!?)...

 

[Prince EWS]

Shakib you are not Captaincy Material

Letting the Deepest Lineup in the World Bat vs the Likes of Shahdat Hossian in a day 1 pitch.

I don't care about the Overcast, this is not South Africa