Zaheer leads India fightback in Bangladesh, Sachin cracks ton

India grabbed three wickets in three overs just before bad light forced an early tea break to reduce Bangladesh to 59-3 on the second day of the first test yesterday.

Despite an unbeaten century for Sachin Tendulkar, the home side had earlier bowled out India for 243 and made a good start to their reply with a 53-run opening stand.

Paceman Zaheer Khan grabbed two wickets as India hit back, trapping Imrul Kayes lbw for 23 and uprooting the leg stump of his fellow opener Tamim Iqbal with an in-cutter for 31. In between Zaheer's twin strikes, Ishant Sharma dismissed Shahriar Nafees, who had made four, with a catch at second slip from VVS Laxman.

Earlier, Tendulkar smashed his 44th test century in a one-man show that made India's total more respectable, finishing his innings unbeaten on 105 off 166 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. Resuming at 76 with India on 213-8, Tendulkar scored all but one of his country's 30 runs in the morning session, the start of which was delayed by 90 minutes because of thick fog. Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan and paceman Shahadat Hossain shared the two wickets that fell in the morning session, both completing five-wicket hauls in the process.

Shakib took the wicket of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, caught by Kayes at silly point for one, to claim his sixth five-wicket haul in tests with 5-62.

Shahadat (5-71) provided Bangladesh with the first breakthrough of the morning with the wicket of Ishant, completing his third five-wicket haul in tests.

Mohammad Ashraful, who had yet to score, and Raqibul Hassan (one) were at the crease when umpires suspended the play little over an hour into the second session.

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