Bangladesh believe that draw is still a possibility against India in rain-ruled ongoing Test match at Fatullah provided they can bat out most of the remaining six sessions.
India made 462 for 6 before rain brought a premature end to third day’s play and came close to a declaration in order to force a result in a game that saw 174 overs of play lost already.
They batted at a quick pace to add 223 runs on the third day in little over 47.3 overs at 4.71 runs but things did not always go in the way they had expected as Bangladeshi spinners also dominated them in patches.
Sakib al Hasan and Jubair Hossain shared all six wickets between them without any help from a fielder something that undoubtedly will encourage two Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin.
‘I am sure they will try to take a chance because they have scored more than 470 and they don’t have anything to lose,’ said Bangladesh all-rounder Sakib after third day’s play.
‘At the same time, we have to score runs. We have to bat well in six sessions. We are aware of the situation.
‘And the batsmen are mentally ready. In fact we were thinking they would declare right after Tea.
So we are ready that we might get a tough period and it will come for sure. If we can survive that period it will be good for us,’ said Sakib.
Indian opener Murali Vijay, who scored 150 before being trapped leg-before by Sakib, said that they are plotting to come up with the fire and keen to exploit the condition if weather permits as they are comfortably placed.
‘I think we’re in a good position now and hopefully we can do something special in the last two days,’ Vijay told reporters.
‘Hopefully, weather permitting, we can push for a win and that’s our attitude and mindset at the moment,’ said Vijay, who added 283 runs with Shikhar Dhawan in the opening partnership.
The Tamil Nadu batsman said they were in a hurry to score runs as rain was forecasted for all five days of the game, the first ever Test match to be held in June, the beginning of the monsoon season in Bangladesh.
‘It demanded us to be positive so that we can put as many runs on the board as possible and put them under pressure,’ said Vijay
‘That was our primary target, and I thought we achieved it.’
Bangladeshi spinners took the hold of the Indian batting whenever they attempted to score runs beyond reasonable rate, something Vijay said was rather encouraging for them to see.
‘The wicket is deteriorating and it’s going to help both of them [Harbhajan and Ashwin],’ he said.
Source: New Age
