Banglas fold again

Two-nil, that was set in stone. But for a nation starved of Test cricket, Pakistan's biggest victory was that there was action at last. It had been five months since their last Test, and that, too, was against Bangladesh. Five Pakistanis scored centuries in a single innings then. They were a trifle less prolific this time, but not much else had changed.

Danish Kaneria happily nurtured his sub-15 bowling average against the Banglas, and the Banglas never remotely threatened to make Pakistan bat again, or even reach for a second new ball. The margin of the defeats - an innings and 178 runs and an innings and 169 runs - were so large that, theoretically, not even a third outing would have saved an innings defeat in either Test.

When the series ended, two men associated with both Bangladesh and Pakistan cricket at some point, exchanged contrary views on Bangladesh's predicament. "Bangladesh have to give a more creditable performance or the ICC will soon come under pressure to review its decision to give them Test status," Javed Miandad was quoted as saying. "I can't believe this. Javed cannot have said this. He has worked with the Bangladesh team for a brief period last year. I don't buy this," responded Mudassar Nazar, who was the first foreign coach of the Bangladesh cricket team and is now in charge of Pakistan.

But Bangladesh themselves were running out of patience. Wrote a columnist for the Daily Star newspaper after only a day's play in the series: "The remarkable consistency in making a complete hash of a promising batting situation makes our cricketers unique in the Test arena... Their brand of `one-day style Test cricket' is a very appealing new concept, especially for their opponents." Mohammad Ashraful, a national hero when he scored a century on debut a day short of his 17th birthday against Sri Lanka last September, was accused of erroneously harbouring notions that "his place is not under any threat. His wild square-drive with no footwork was a pathetic display of carelessness. Surely, coach Trevor Chappell has cautioned him a thousand times not to give away his wicket with that kind of indiscretion. Ashraful is not listening at his peril."

But really, it hadn't begun badly. Wasim Akram had pulled out injured after only 16 balls, Waqar Younis had been taken for six an over in his first spell of the series, and the Banglas had climbed to the reasonable heights of 140 for 3. An hour later, they had crashed to 160 all out. Waqar ended with 6 for 55, his first five-for in four years. Waqar was good but Bangladesh's ploy of batting like millionaires could have hardly been more misplaced.

Shadab Kabir, back in the fold for the first time since an English summer in 1996 where Adam Hollioake's split-fingered slower ball had given him a minor migraine, set Pakistan on their way with a romping half-century. His partner, Taufeeq Umar, debutant centurion in the Multan Test against Bangladesh in August, chipped in with 53. He and Yousuf Youhana (72) merely continued where they left off. And after Abdur Razzaq and Rashid Latif were done with their 134 and 94, six large sixes and 27 fours between them, Inzamam-ul-Haq pounded some from No. 8. (He had a cold.) Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Bangladesh's precocious fast-bowling talent, was sorely missed.

It didn't take long for legspinner Kaneria, only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan, to wrap things up on the third afternoon. With the madness and the method of the Qadir-marries-Kumble that many believe him to be, he squeezed out seven wickets in less than 20 overs. Only Fahim Muntasir, a fast bowler making his debut, got past 30 with some merry swinging at the death. Luckily for the cricketers, the loss was buried under the headlines of FIFA's sensational ban on the Bangladesh Football Federation for failing to appoint a democratically elected board.

On to Chittagong then, where a similar story unfolded. Bangladesh batted first and lasted only three overs more than they had on the first day at Dhaka. Waqar made the initial strike but it was the spinners who mopped up the remaining between them: Saqlain Mushtaq with five and Kaneria with four. Day two had yielded Pakistan 310 runs at Dhaka; 320 came at Chittagong. They arrived mainly via Younis Khan, who cracked 119, and Youhana, who ended the day on 174 and then proceeded to complete his second Test double hundred the following morning. He joined a fairly elite list of cricketers - those who had brought up their 200 with a six. Better still, he was awarded 2.5 lakh rupees by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Another third-day finish loomed large, and so it proved. Shoaib Akhtar couldn't be kept out of the action for long, and he made the most of the berth that Akram's injury had opened up. He blustered in and grabbed four lower-order wickets after Waqar had cleaned up the top. Habibul Bashar, familiarly, made another 50, his ninth in 11 Tests, though, worryingly, a hundred is yet to come.

The post-mortem brought the usual. Waqar: "You see, if you keep on losing like this, your team will lose their appetite for the game. That's why it's better to begin with some less stronger opponents." He recommended Zimbabwe - who had beaten Bangladesh almost as convincingly last month. Coach Trevor Chappell: "I think you guys (the critical media) seemingly do not really understand the difference between the opposition we are playing and the standard of Bangladesh. It's not probably that surprising that we are getting beaten quite easily by the very good sides."

Somewhere in the middle of the series the Bangladesh A team to participate in the Busta Cup in the West Indies, was announced. It's a step forward, but truth be told, Bangladesh's best 14 need the workout first.