Victory a matter of time, as Indian bowlers run amock

Dhaka, May 27 (UNI) Bangladesh were staring at an innings defeat at 1 for 10 in their second innings after Zaheer Khan picked up his career's fourth fifth wicket to bundle out the hosts' for 118 in the first innings as India enforced the follow-on on the third day of the second test here today.

Zaheer (5/34) and veteran leggie Anil Kumble (3/32) were the slayers of the Banlgadesh innings.

With Bangladesh adrift by 492 runs, Indian skipper Rahul Dravid enforced the follow-on and the visitors were one leg up immediately with Javed Omar departing without opening his account.

At lunch, Shahriar Nafees (4) and skipper Habibul Bashar (5) were in the middle, as Bangladesh face an uphill task to save the match with more than two and half days remaining.

The Indian bowlers began from where they finished last night coming in at the Bangladesh batsmen relentlessly. If Zaheer was all finesse and speed, R P Singh was extracting good bounce and swing.

Debutant Ishant Sharma got into the act with some fine yorkers as the placid-as-a-lake wicket suddenly took a demonical turn.

Then there was Anil Kumble whose leg breaks, yorkers and top-spinners left the Bangladesh batters clueless.

It was like being hit by a sudden gale force, the paper tigers were crumbling.

Zaheer drew first blood trapping Sakib lbw on his overnight score of 30. Nine balls later Kumble sent a top spinner that had Saleh putting his pads as the first line of defence. The umpire had no hesitation in ruling against the batsman.

Rookie Ishant gobbled up Mashraffe Mortaza, who played a breezy 79 last Test match, for two slashing the bowler to point for Kumble to take a fine catch.

Zaheer returned for his third spell and got the fifth wicket cleaning up Rafique. His card read 10 overs one maiden 34 runs and 5 wickets. Kumble had three wickets for his efforts from nine overs.

Bangladesh was all out for 118 and the writing was clear on the wall. The entire Bangladesh first innings lasted 37.2 overs and 185 minutes, which was 263 minutes lesser than Sachin Tendulkar's stay at the stumps.

The hosts began their second innings disastrously with Javed Omar getting a king's pair caught by Dhoni first ball of Zaheer.

A leg glance saw the umpire giving caught behind to one that snickometre didn't agree to.

India and Bangladesh went in for lunch with contrasting feelings, as the visitors will be hoping to wrap up the series today itself while the hosts are hoping against hope to delay the inevitable.

UNI