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Azzu's first pillar

Eden Gardens was always a lucky ground for Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin but not today. The tall Indian skipper, who scored five centuries and two fifties in his

previous seven innings in five Tests, was out today for the first time with less than 50 to his name. At 23, he was one of the three victims of his Pakistani counterpart Wasim Akram.

Azhar, who made his debut with two centuries - 110 and 141 - here against England way back in 1984-85, scored his last ton - 163 not out -- against Australia last year. He scored his other two centuries--182 and 109 -- against England and South Africa in 1992-93 and 1997 respectively. Azhar managed 60 runs against Pakistan here in 1987 and 52 runs against Australia in the 1st innings last year.

New Yorker

The packed crowd at the Eden Gardens was at a loss for quite some time when 'little master' Sachin was bowled for a first-ball duck with a gem of an yorker. Although it was his seventh duck in Test cricket, he was never bowled out in the first delivery that he faced.

While returning home after the match, most of the Calcuttans were saying that it was a dream delivery from the fastest Pakistani bowler, which the world's best batsman of the present era failed to block. The ball took off his middle stump after being pitched under his bat. His previous delivery, which took the off stump behind Rahul Dravid was a similar yorker.

Diplomatic Miah

Indian and Pakistani journalists had a 15-minute argument with ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya today at the press box because they failed to contact either captain and coach after the end of play on day one.

Dalmiya, with an smiling face, first said that it was the decisions of the both the team management and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and then agreed that he needs only 20-minutes to solve the issue. But he declined to do that because he did not want to take any blame should any controversy arise later.

Local Bengali dailies, which the Pakistanis cannot read, have been producing every day for the last one week numerous baseless stories on the tourists without talking to them, perhaps only to attract their readers.

``Without making any contact, you are producing a lot of gossips everyday, which have already had an impact on the morale of both teams. If you talk, I don't know what will happen,'' said Dalmiya while going out from the press box.

Bone in Bonus

Zimbabwean coach Dave Houghton is not very keen about introducing bonus points in Test matches.

``How can you do that, and that too only for the first 100 overs of the first innings? This will totally damage the image of Test cricket and encourage players to play as in one-day matches. If a team does better in the second innings and wins the match, why will they be deprived of their success and bonus points as well?'' asked the former Test cricketer, one of the invited dignitaries to the inaugural match of the Test championship. He was talking to this correspondent today during lunch.

``This is not fair. If bonus points have to be given, it should be applied in both innings and I don't think this idea will last in the days to come,'' he added.

Ra-miss

Ramesh once again failed to hammer a ton. The left-handed opener, who made his debut in the Madras Test late last month, was out today on 79 being trapped leg before by Wasim Akram.

In the first match in his home town (Chennai), he scored 43 and 26 and then went on to score 60 and 96 in the Delhi Test. In his previous innings at the Firoze Shah Kotla, he missed his maiden ton for only four runs after he offered a simple return catch to Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

It was his third Test fifty in the last two weeks. Not a bad start for the young Tamil.

Welcome Guest

Charu Sharma, one of the leading members of the Star Sports (TV) team, is very happy to be going to Dhaka for the first time to cover the Final of the inaugural Asian Test championship. The tall Bangalore-based commentator, who works with the TWI team, expressed this after he came to know that this correspondent came from Dhaka.

``I have seen your Independence Cup and the Wills International Cup on TV as I'm not attached to WorldTel which telecast both the tournaments held in Dhaka in 1997 and 98,'' said Charu.

``I know you have a pretty good stadium in Dhaka with modern lights and electronic scoreboard,'' Charu said, revealing that all the four matches of the three-nation tournament will be shown in the Star Sports pay channel.