Ashraful sends lions on cherry chase
Bishwajit Roy, from Chittagong
Mohammad Ashraful stood tall in Muttiah Muralidaran's hundredth Test match with a magnificent hundred as Bangladesh amassed record runs on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium yesterday.The right-hander's 136-run classy knock guided the home side to 315-9 at stumps, the first time ever the Tigers scored 300 runs in a day in their 41 Test appearance surpassing the previous best of 289-8 against Australia in Cairns in 2003. The 21-year-old produced the splendid innings after Bangladesh captain won the toss and decided to bat on a placid wicket. His second century against the Lankans also saw him winning a battle over champion off-spinner Muralidaran. Although Murali had Ashraful finally caught in the dying overs to finish with 3-85, it was the Bangladesh little master who was at his belligerent best against whom he also scored his maiden hundred on debut in 2001. In his 184-ball knock, the stylish batsman smote seven boundaries out of 15 against Muralidaran including some copybook cover drives. Ashraful never missed the chance to punish the lose deliveries and his four hour-plus essay featured by three massive sixes, two against leg-spinner Malinga Bandara and the other off pacer Dilhara Fernando over backward point. Ashraful reached his third Test hundred in style, hooking paceman Lasith Malinga to the backward square leg boundary for four. A veteran of 30 Tests, Ashraful also scored his second century an epic 158 not out against India -- in 2004 at the MA Aziz Stadium. Ashraful now joined Bashar as the highest ton makers in the country. Earlier, Bashar and Nafees Iqbal gave Bangladesh a reasonably good start when they put on 72 runs for the second wicket after opener Javed Omar fell in the first over of the Test. Iqbal looked impressive with 34 before the local lad went for an expansive sweep only to his off-stump being knocked off by leg-spinner Malinga Bandara, who also dismissed Bashar (29) with the first ball of the his next over just before the lunch break. When Ashraful came to bat, Bangladesh were struggling at 81-3. He shared 64 runs for the fourth wicket with Shahriar Nafees and added 65 with Khaled Mashud. The home team went for the tea break with a satisfying 191-4, but lost wickets at regular intervals in the final session with Ashraful becoming the eighth man out. Malinga was the other successful Sri Lanka bowler claiming three wickets for 55 while Bandara took 2-61.
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