Can Bangladesh Pull it Off?

Day three of the Dhaka test has proved as gruelling as any of the rearguard actions England perpetrated on South Africa and West Indies pulled on England last year. Trotty, Ian Bell and the unlikely Tim Bresnan have middled the hell out of a whole load of dot balls and picked off some poor bowling from Razzak to take this Test back to parity. A twenty run lead with 180 overs to go would suggest that this test is heading for a bore draw.

Bangladesh have looked competitive here for long stretches and they would argue that a bit of umpiring luck would have them batting again and England under pressure. However long periods of attrition by England bored them into incompetence and this correspondent would question some of the captaincy decisions from the Banglas.

With Treadwell in there and only Finn to come it looks unlikely that England will race to a big enough lead to get the Banglas into serious trouble. However the Deshis could turn England over if they give it a bit of humpty tomorrow. A Tamin ton in double quick time and a bit of long handle elsewhere and you can't imagine England trying to chase more than 275 with five batters and Prior. They have form in that area of declining anything much above three and a half an over in the fourth innings. And we've seen in South Africa that England are still prone to the odd collapse in the final 90 minutes.

So maybe this test isn't done. But Wickman doubts it and he thinks there's going to be a whole lot of whingeing to accompany it. Wickman thinks the Bangladeshi groundsman is probably the person that most supporters ought to be aiming their barbs at if it does turn into a draw. The skipper has criticised the Bangla Board for not paying for UDRS in favour of sprucing the place up for David Morgan's visit and the supporters are blaming the umpires again for racism (or at least minnowism). But this is an absolute road of a wicket. Only the fact that England played five bats and Colly got a good one have made this a contest.

Wickman thinks that these road wickets are being prepared because underdog sides (see England in England too) don't want to get bowled out twice on their own decks. This is fine of course unless and until the oppo gets 500. Someone has to take twenty wickets to win a game and it doesn't look like this track is going to deteriorate enough to make that a possibility.