Tigers impress to leave Test in balance

Jonathan Trott
12 April 2012

Bangladesh registered the third highest total in their history before removing three of England's top order to leave the second Test delicately poised after two days.

Bangladesh resumed on 330 for eight but, with the tail exposed, the tourists' hopes of a swift clean-up job were shattered as the hosts raced along to 419 all out in the morning session.

It was just the seventh time in a decade of Test cricket that the Tigers had breached 400 and provided a solid platform for the bowlers, who had England three down for 171 at stumps, 248 runs behind.

Jonathan Trott (64 not out) and Ian Bell (25 not out) will resume at the crease on day three.

Shafiul Islam might have been out on at least two occasions had Alastair Cook opted for an extra man in the slip cordon but he helped himself to a series of boundaries to the vacant third man position. With a top score of 13 in his previous six Test innings, England must have expected his luck to run out but instead the number 10 grew in confidence.

Tim Bresnan eventually dismissed him for 53 in 51 balls, but Naeem Islam (59 not out) held firm and Rubel Hossain (17) made a mockery of a Test average of just over two to increase England's frustrations. By the time Graeme Swann had Rubel caught at the wicket for a fourth success of the innings, the last two wickets had added 105.

England began their reply with Cook looking in control before slog-sweeping Abdur Razzak straight into the hands of Imrul Kayes, who was posted at deep mid-wicket for the shot.

Pietersen was next in, batting at number three for the first time in Tests and when he reached 45 he became the fourth youngest England player to score 5,000 runs behind David Gower, Michael Atherton and Marcus Trescothick.

But that was to be his last scoring shot before he fell once again to a slow left-armer. It was a curious dismissal, Pietersen going down the track to a Shakib Al Hasan long hop and tamely spooning a catch to Imrul off the leading edge.

Paul Collingwood followed for a three-ball duck, lbw to Rubel as the old ball started to reverse swing.

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