Skipper Rahul Dravid and opener Dinesh Kaarthick hit strokeful half-centuries
to lead India to a comfortable 113 for one at lunch on the opening day of first
cricket Test against Bangladesh here today.
Kaarthick (54 batting) and Dravid (52 batting) were involved in a rollicking unfinished
second wicket stand after India lost Wasim Jaffer in the very first
ball of the match.
Dravid seemed in complete control as he plundered ten boundaries,
including several classy shots, while Kaarthick was his usual confident self
on the flat track which gave virtually no assistance to the bowlers.
Kaarthick hit nine boundaries and got to his half-century in
the penultimate over before lunch with a single off spinner Mohammad Rafique.
India decided to keep seasoned willower V V S Laxman
out of the playing eleven, going in with five bowlers. Zaheer Khan, V R V Singh and R P Singh were drafted in to shoulder the pace attack,
while veteran Anil kumble had company in debutant Ramesh Pawar
in the spin department.
The speculation about India's opening combination came to an
end with Wasim Jaffer walking out into the middle alongside wicketkeeper batsman
Dinesh Kaarthick, but the ploy did not work.
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