A milestone and a near miss
Plays of the day from the final day of the first Test at Chittagong
Andrew Miller in Chittagong
16-Mar-2010
Mushfiqur Rahim hugged Junaid Siddique after the left-hander reached his ton - but missed out on bringing up his own century when he was bowled for 95 • PA Photos
Shot of the day
Junaid Siddique's pummelling straight drive off Steven Finn that carried him through to his maiden Test century. Given his uncertainties against the quicks in the first innings, Junaid's response was heroic in the extreme, as he stayed in line at all times, cut out the flinches off the ribs that had curtailed his stay on Saturday, and resolved to bat Bangladesh through to safety. Not even the advent of the nineties could upset his composure, as Finn came round the wicket to alter his line of attack, but was met with a crashing blade and an instant punch of delight, even before the ball had crossed the rope.
Junaid Siddique's pummelling straight drive off Steven Finn that carried him through to his maiden Test century. Given his uncertainties against the quicks in the first innings, Junaid's response was heroic in the extreme, as he stayed in line at all times, cut out the flinches off the ribs that had curtailed his stay on Saturday, and resolved to bat Bangladesh through to safety. Not even the advent of the nineties could upset his composure, as Finn came round the wicket to alter his line of attack, but was met with a crashing blade and an instant punch of delight, even before the ball had crossed the rope.
Reaction of the day
Press boxes as a rule are a dour and objective domain. Applause is generally frowned upon, lest it gives the impression that you are rooting for one team or the other. But every now and again, one's true colours are run gloriously up the mast, as occurred at the moment when Junaid reached his ton. A spontaneous, genuine and heartfelt explosion of applause and cheering burst forth from the sizeable Bangladeshi contingent, and even one or two of the Brits followed suit. It just goes to show that, regardless of the result of this match, a notable PR victory has been secured nonetheless.
Press boxes as a rule are a dour and objective domain. Applause is generally frowned upon, lest it gives the impression that you are rooting for one team or the other. But every now and again, one's true colours are run gloriously up the mast, as occurred at the moment when Junaid reached his ton. A spontaneous, genuine and heartfelt explosion of applause and cheering burst forth from the sizeable Bangladeshi contingent, and even one or two of the Brits followed suit. It just goes to show that, regardless of the result of this match, a notable PR victory has been secured nonetheless.
Send-off of the day
Junaid's partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim had lasted for two balls shy of 70 overs, when finally - finally! - Graeme Swann made the breakthrough. Ten balls after lunch, in the 108th over of the innings (and Swann's 41st for that matter), Junaid propped forward with less conviction than he might otherwise have shown before the interval, and squeezed a simple edge to Paul Collingwood at slip. But the bowler's reaction was eyebrow-raising to say the least - a massive, lip-readable, obscenity and a double pump of the fists. It was a touch unnecessary but somewhat revealing. Few Bangladeshi batsmen have ever been worthy of such a back-handed compliment.
Junaid's partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim had lasted for two balls shy of 70 overs, when finally - finally! - Graeme Swann made the breakthrough. Ten balls after lunch, in the 108th over of the innings (and Swann's 41st for that matter), Junaid propped forward with less conviction than he might otherwise have shown before the interval, and squeezed a simple edge to Paul Collingwood at slip. But the bowler's reaction was eyebrow-raising to say the least - a massive, lip-readable, obscenity and a double pump of the fists. It was a touch unnecessary but somewhat revealing. Few Bangladeshi batsmen have ever been worthy of such a back-handed compliment.
Anticlimax of the day
One of Bangladesh's two heroes made it to his landmark. The other, sadly, succumbed five runs short. Mushfiqur's efforts throughout the game have been magnificent - he was the hub of his team's resistance in the first innings and the yeoman support for Junaid in the second. But just when his second Test century was looming, he was coaxed into arguably his only rash shot of the match, a gallop down the track and a loose swipe at Swann, who slid a fuller delivery beneath the bat and into the off stump.
One of Bangladesh's two heroes made it to his landmark. The other, sadly, succumbed five runs short. Mushfiqur's efforts throughout the game have been magnificent - he was the hub of his team's resistance in the first innings and the yeoman support for Junaid in the second. But just when his second Test century was looming, he was coaxed into arguably his only rash shot of the match, a gallop down the track and a loose swipe at Swann, who slid a fuller delivery beneath the bat and into the off stump.
Catch of the day
Michael Carberry had a busy time in the field on debut, with a key run-out in the first innings and the match-sealing catch in the second. The moment, when it arrived, was a sprinting, tumbling affair at deep midwicket, as he made ground to a lofted clip from Naeem Islam and clung on near the turf to wrap up the contest by 181 runs. And fittingly, it handed a tenth wicket to the Man of the Match, Graeme Swann, the first England offspinner to achieve such a feat since Jim Laker in his heyday of 1956.
Michael Carberry had a busy time in the field on debut, with a key run-out in the first innings and the match-sealing catch in the second. The moment, when it arrived, was a sprinting, tumbling affair at deep midwicket, as he made ground to a lofted clip from Naeem Islam and clung on near the turf to wrap up the contest by 181 runs. And fittingly, it handed a tenth wicket to the Man of the Match, Graeme Swann, the first England offspinner to achieve such a feat since Jim Laker in his heyday of 1956.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo. Go to http://twitter.com/miller_cricket to follow him on Twitter through the England tour of Bangladesh.