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India grabbed two early wickets to put themselves in a commanding position in the first Test against Bangladesh on Wednesday after Gautam Gambhir achieved a rare feat for the tourists. Bangladesh face a stiff task to save the Test as they struggled to 67-2 in their second innings at stumps on the penultimate day in Chittagong while chasing an unlikely 415-run victory target.

Only four teams have chased more than 400 in the fourth innings to win a Test. Opener Tamim Iqbal was unbeaten on 23 at close with Mohammad Ashraful on 16. Indian paceman Zaheer Khan had Imrul Kayes caught behind in his second over before Ishant Sharma dismissed Shahriar Nafees (21), with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag taking a low catch at gully. Nafees failed to make the most of the chance he got on five when he was dropped by Venkatsai Laxman at second slip off Zaheer.

Left-handed opener Gambhir (116) earlier became the fourth batsman to smash a century in five successive Tests as India declared their second innings at 413-8 shortly after tea. Australian Don Bradman holds the world record of making hundreds in six consecutive Tests. South African Jacques Kallis and Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf are the others to have made centuries in five consecutive Tests.

India added 291 to their overnight total of 122-1, with Gambhir, Laxman (69 not out) and night-watchman Amit Mishra (50) the main contributors. Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan finished with 7-174, the best by a Bangladeshi bowler against India in a Test. Gambhir completed his hundred in style, hoisting Shakib over long on for a six. He also hit 10 fours in his 129-ball knock. His last four centuries came against New Zealand (at Napier and Wellington) and Sri Lanka (at Ahmedabad and Kanpur) in 2009.





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SCOREBOARD

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India 1st innings: 243

Bangladesh 1st innings: 242

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India 2nd innings: (overnight 122-1):

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G. Gambhir c Nafees b Shafiul 116

V. Sehwag c Raqibul b Shakib 45

A. Mishra c Tamim b Mahmudullah 50

R. Dravid run out 24

S. Tendulkar lbw b Rubel 16

V. Laxman not out 69

Yuvraj Singh c Ashraful b Shahadat 25

D. Karthik c Rubel b Mahmudullah 27

Zaheer Khan b Shakib 20

I. Sharma not out 7

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Extras: (b1, lb5, nb5, w3) 14

Total: (for eight wickets decl; 87 overs) 413

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Fall of wickets: 1-90 (Sehwag), 2-188 (Mishra), 3-233 (Gambhir), 4-245 (Dravid), 5-272 (Tendulkar), 6-313 (Yuvraj), 7-362 (Karthik), 8-394 (Zaheer).

Bowling: Shafiul 15-0-87-1 (w1), Shahadat 16-1-53-1 (w1), Rubel 15-0-94-1 (nb5, w1), Shakib 27-2-112-2, Mahmudullah 13-0-52-2, Ashraful 1-0-9-0.





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Bangladesh 2nd innings: (target 415):

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Tamim Iqbal not out 23

I. Kayes c Karthik b Zaheer 1

S. Nafees c Sehwag b Sharma 21

Mohammad Ashraful

not out 16

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Extras: (b4, lb1, nb1) 6

Total: (for two wickets; 18 overs) 67

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Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Kayes), 2-47 (Nafees).

Bowling: Zaheer 8-3-34-1, Sreesanth 5-0-11-0 (nb1), Sharma 4-1-7-1, Mishra 1-0-10-0.

Toss: Bangladesh

Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) and Marais Erasmus (RSA)

TV umpire: Enamul Haque (BAN)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010


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