CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, 16 December 2004 — India are likely to test their reserve players against minnows Bangladesh in the second and final cricket Test starting here tomorrow.
A full-strength Indian side proved too strong for Bangladesh in the opening Test at Dhaka, winning by an innings and 140 runs with more than a day to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
“We’ve some guys in the side and we will probably give them an opportunity in the second Test and also in the one-day series to come,” India skipper Sourav Ganguly said without naming the players to be rested or included.
“We have not spoken about it, but that is definitely an option because you need to give everybody a go to find out how good they are.”
Indian middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik failed to find a place in the first-Test side despite giving a good account of themselves in a recent home series against Australia.
Fast bowlers Shib Paul and Gagandeep Singh are yet to make Test debuts.
India outplayed Bangladesh in the first match with their solid all-round performance, with batting star Sachin Tendulkar and fast bowler Irfan Pathan reaching personal milestones.
Tendulkar not only equalled compatriot Sunil Gavaskar’s world record of 34 Test centuries, but also compiled a career-best 248 not out to help his team amass 526.
Pathan wrecked Bangladesh in both the innings on a flat pitch to finish the match with 11-96, the best performance by an Indian fast bowler in an away Test.
Bangladesh were dismissed for 184 and 202 to suffer their 30th defeat in 33 matches since gaining Test status in 2000. The remaining three Tests were drawn.
The Indian captain said his team would not relax their sway over hapless Bangladesh as they were highly motivated to complete the sweep.
India are currently third behind Australia and England.
Bangladesh expect captain Habibul Bashar to lead from the front in order to put some pressure on the Indian bowling.
Bashar, the only Bangladeshi batsman to complete 2,000 Test runs, failed in both the innings at Dhaka as he could contribute just eight and 12.
The teams will play three one-dayers after the Test series, with the opening game scheduled here on Dece. 23. The last two matches will be held in Dhaka on Dec. 26 and 27.
Meantime, security was tightened in the southern Bangladesh port city of Chittagong yesterday ahead of a cricket Test match between visiting India and hosts Bangladesh, officials said.
Army bomb detecting units have joined thousands of policemen and paramilitary border guards to provide watertight security for the Indian cricket team led by skipper.
