Middle-order batsman Marshal Ayub gave the selectors a timely reminder that he is ready to fill the number-three slot left vacant by Mohammad Ashraful, hitting an unbeaten century on the second day of the three-day practice match in Khulna.
Ayub, who toured Sri Lanka with the national team and was later dropped for the subsequent Zimbabwe tour without playing any match, could not do justice to his name on the recently concluded England tour with the Bangladesh A team.
But the right-hander looked to be in sublime touch on his way to an unbeaten 147 runs that helped the Green gain a slender 14-run lead over Red having reached 282-5 in 63 overs at the end of the second day’s play.
Ayub, the leading scorer in the last edition of the National Cricket League and the Bangladesh Cricket League, did not look to be in any sort of trouble during his more than four hours stay at the crease when he hit 21 boundaries and two sixes.
‘I am hugely relieved after scoring the century following my mediocre performance with the Bangladesh A team in the UK recently,’ he said later in the evening.
‘Definitely it had raised my confidence,’ he added.
Ayub was ably supported by Soumya Sarkar (55 not-out) as the pair added a valuable 131 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket to take them to a respectable position after they were looking to be in some sort of trouble with the scoreboard reading 151-5.
Earlier, resuming the day at 156-4, Mushfiqur Rahim added only 15 runs to his overnight score to depart for 84 runs, becoming Abdur Razzak’s fifth victim.
The left-arm spinner underlined his credential in longer version grabbing 7-73 to help Red dismiss the Green for 268 in 97.2 overs . Mehrab Hossain, unbeaten on nine overnight, scored 51.
-With New Age input
