Bangladesh slice through India

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan and fast bowler Shahadat Hossain claimed four wickets apiece as India's famed batting line-up crumbled on the first day of the first Test in Chittagong.

Openers Virender Sehwag (52) and Gautam Gambhir (23) had given India a solid start with a 79-run stand for the first wicket, but India lost their way thereafter as Shakib and Shahadat took centre stage.

Sachin Tendulkar took India past the 200-run mark with a battling 76 not out and India had reached 213 for eight when bad light ended play prematurely. Ishant Sharma was at the other end on one.

Shakib had invited India to bat first in overcast conditions, but his decision at first seemed to have backfired as Sehwag and Gambhir got the visitors off to an aggressive start.

Play had begun 90 minutes later than scheduled due to bad light, but Sehwag came out all guns blazing, ferociously cutting and driving Bangladesh's inexperienced attack as he raced to a half-century.

He reached the mark in the first over after lunch by hitting Shahadat for three boundaries in four deliveries, but Bangladesh then hit back in spectacular fashion as six wickets went down in an extraordinary second session.

Shakib had found considerable turn in a single over inside the first session in the morning and he got one to spin sharply into Sehwag, the batsman making room to drive on the off-side but only managing to spoon a catch to Tamim Iqbal at short cover.

Bangladesh then made swift inroads as Gambhir went in the next over, slashing at a wide delivery from Shahadat and the thin edge going straight to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim.

The Tigers, still smarting from stand-in-captain Sehwag's comments that they were an ordinary team, were then in the ascendancy as Rahul Dravid was bowled by a fuller delivery from Shahadat.

From 79 for no loss, India had slipped to 85 for three, but there was more success for the home side later in an extended middle session.

VVS Laxman and Tendulkar briefly held the innings together with a 42-run stand for the fifth wicket, but that alliance was severed as Shakib struck again.

Laxman inside-edged Shakib onto his front leg, the ball dribbling back to the wicketkeeper who smartly whipped off the bails as Laxman overbalanced and stepped out of his crease.

Yuvraj Singh also departed cheaply after hitting a full toss from Shakib straight to Rubel Hossain at mid-on and Dinesh Karthik, regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's replacement, was smartly snapped up by Raqibul Hasan at gully as he became Shahadat's third victim.

Shahadat, continuing after the tea interval, trapped Amit Mishra in front, while Shakib bowling an unchanged since he brought himself on after the lunch interval, got rid of Zaheer Khan, the tailender failing to make much of a reprieve when on six.

Tendulkar was the lone batsman to offer resistance, but his knock was not without blemish.

Imrul Kayes had grassed the former captain while on 16, the fielder failing to hold a sharp chance at slip.

Tendulkar went on to reach his 55th Test half-century, going past 13,000-runs in Test cricket along on the way.

He was still fighting a lone battle with the tail when the light was offered to the batsmen and play was suspended before eventually being called off for the day.

Dhoni was ruled out due to back spasms and India were also without Harbhajan Singh, ruled out due to a stiff neck.