Sharma learns his lesson

India put in a disciplined bowling performance to bowl Bangladesh out for 233 in their first innings after tea on the opening day of the second and final Test.

Ishant Sharma, the Indian opening bowler, says the shock of being dropped during the home series against Sri Lanka had taught him the virtues of patience and perseverance, and made him a better bowler. Sharma figured in just one of the three Tests against Sri Lanka last year and played two of the five one-day internationals owing to his poor form. But he has a made a strong comeback from that disappointment in Bangladesh, taking seven wickets as India won the opening Test at Chittagong by 113-runs. He added four more to that tally on the opening day of the second Test in Dhaka yesterday as Bangladesh were bundled out for 233, a score possible only due to a magnificent unbeaten 96 from Mohammed Mahmudullah. In reply, India had raced to 69 without loss by stumps. "It was a very hard time for me," said Sharma about his time on the sidelines. "I was desperate to play for the country. It was a new experience for me because for the last three years my career has been up and up. But I learned from that experience that I should be patient in life and in bowling also. "It [being dropped] is part and parcel of any cricketer's life. You have to face that and it was a challenge. I am happy that I learned to be patient at the hard times." The Bangladesh lower order was once again left with the task of resuscitating the innings after the top five were back in the pavilion with just 51 runs on the board. Both openers, Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, left without bothering the scorers and Junaid Siddique joined them in the pavilion soon after, reducing the hosts to 13-3. Raqibul Hasan was next to go, edging Sharma to second slip, followed by Mohammad Ashraful. Shakib and Chittagong centurion Mushfiqur Rahim consolidated the innings with a 55-run stand for the sixth wicket, but it was Mahmudullah who got the team past 200 in the company of the tailenders, batting close to 30 overs with numbers 10 and 11. But he was left stranded four runs short of his maiden, and richly-deserved, century in Test cricket when Harbhajan Singh knocked back Rubel Hossain's stumps. [e-mail]