Zaheer, who underwent a shoulder surgery in August last year, said the time he spent out of side due to the injury allowed him to work on his bowling but he was not at his best yet.

“Lot of things in bowling come from experience. I started late in my career and was out of the side due to injuries,” Zaheer told reporters after creating havoc against Bangladesh on the fourth day, finishing with figures of 7 for 87. “I think injuries helped me work on my bowling. I was fortunate that I could work on my bowling and make a comeback.”

Zaheer’s brilliant performance earned him both the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series awards but the left arm fast bowler was not content, saying he could have been even better. “(I have) still a long way to go on my fitness. But to get back from the injury and start bowling well is satisfying. I have started the season on a positive note and I am looking forward. An important series (against South Africa) is coming up and I am looking forward to doing well,” said the pacer.

Elated with his first 10-wicket match haul, Zaheer said, “I am happy with my first 10 wickets in a Test. I am in a zone where I am relaxed with my body and mind is in sync.”

Looking back at the match, Zaheer said that although the hosts put up a brave fight on the third day, the Indians knew that they had a very good chance to wrap up the game quickly after they took two quick wickets towards the end of play on the third day.

“It was more to do with the nature of the wicket. It was quite slow yesterday. They were batting well and taking their chances. As bowlers we have to be patient. When we got the last two wickets we knew that we have a chance. In the last 20 minutes yesterday the ball was reverse swinging. We thought we could take wickets today morning and we did,” he said.

Zaheer said the wicket did not much to offer for the spinners and he was happy that the fast bowlers did their job. “The wicket was slow and low throughout and there was nothing much for spinners. So I am happy that the pacers shared the wickets. At Chittagong (in first Test) also we had a collective effort as a bowling unit,” he said.

“It was a difficult track but the kookaburra ball always does something on sub-continental pitches. It swings when new and there will be reverse swing when old, as it did today,” he added.

Zaheer said that he was a little surprised by the way the Bangladesh batting collapsed on the fourth day but said they would learn from experience. “I was surprised by the collapse. They could have applied themselves more. But these are their early days in Test cricket and they will learn. And they would be confident of their batting performance in this Test,” he added.

Bangladesh, who had put up a strong fight on Tuesday, were blown away on the fourth day by Zaheer Khan’s masterful display of reverse swing. Resuming on their overnight score of 228 for 3, the hosts in fact saw through the first hour of the day without any hiccups.

Harbhajan Singh got India their first breakthrough on the fourth day when he removed Shahadat Hossain. India’s other spinner, Pragyan Ojha, followed up the wicket of Hossain with Mohammad Ashraful getting him to edge one to Dhoni.

Bangladeshi skipper Shakib Al Hasan came in and started his innings with a straight six off Pragyan Ojha but played one shot too many when he was caught at square-leg by Gambhir off Ojha.

At 301-6, Bangladesh were down but definitely not out with two of their leading scorers in the series, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riad still to bat. But Zaheer Khan just quashed any chance of another lower order resistance for the home side when he scalped three wickets in four balls in the penultimate over before lunch as Bangladesh went from 301-6 to 304-9.

Zaheer came back after lunch to pick up his seventh wicket of the innings as Bangladesh were bowled out for 312, giving India a target of 2 runs to win. It was a dramatic collapse as the home side lost their final seven wickets for just 22 runs.

Needing just two runs to complete a series whitewash, neither Virender Sehwag nor Gautam Gambhir could open their account as Bangladesh conceded two runs as byes to lose the Test with more than four sessions to spare.

Zaheer was adjudged both Man of the Match and Man of the Series. He also became only the fourth Indian fast bowler to take 10 wickets in an away Test. Zaheer ended the second test with career-best match figures of 10-149, eclipsing his nine for 134 that came against England at Nottingham in 2007.

With this win, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s record of not losing a single Test as a captain remained intact.

Match Summary:

India 544 for 8 dec (Tendulkar 143, Dravid 111 retd hurt, Dhoni 89) and 2 for 0 beat Bangladesh 233 (Mahmudullah 96*, Ishant 4-66, Zaheer 3-62) and 312 (Tamim 151, Junaid 55, Zaheer 7 for 87) by ten wickets

Man of the Match: Zaheer Khan

Man of the Series: Zaheer Khan

The left-handed opener scored 151, blasting the fastest century by a Bangladeshi during the course of the innings, and added 200 runs for the second wicket with Junaid Siddique (55) as the home team finished Day three at 228 for 3, still trailing India by 83 runs.

Mohammad Ashraful (2) and Shahadat Hossain (2), who was sent in as the night-watchman, were in the middle at stumps as the hosts lost the wickets of Tamim and Siddique late in the day after India had declared their first essay at 544 for eight.

The swashbuckling opener took just 101 balls to complete his second hundred in test match cricket, overtaking the wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim’s 112-ball hundred in the first test. Tamim and Junaid went on to add 200 runs for the second wicket — highest by a Bangla pair for any wicket and against any opposition — to lead the home side’s resistance.

Tamim’s attacking 183-ball 151 had 18 fours and three sixes in it while Junaid hit five fours during his patient 144-ball stay.

Zaheer Khan (3/63), who had removed the other opener Imrul Kayes (5) early in the innings, dismissed both Junaid and Tamim in his successive overs towards the end of the day.

Earlier, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (89) became the fifth Indian batsman to score 50-plus in the innings as India declared their first innings at 544 for eight. Yuvraj Singh, nursing a wrist injury, did not bat and has been ruled out of the match.

Match Summary:

Bangladesh 233 and 228 for 1 (Tamim 151, Junaid 55) trail India 544 for 8 dec ( Tendulkar 143, Dravid 111, Dhoni 89, Gambhir 68, Sehwag 56) by 83 runs

“Yuvi (Yuvraj) will be out for a while. He would be struggling for the first Test (against South Africa). And for Dravid, he is also not sure. It is a bit of concern because we want a full strength side against South Africa,” Kirsten said.

Dravid is suffering from a fractured cheek bone, an injury he incurred during the ongoing second test against Bangladesh when a Shahadat Hossain delivery hit him on the face, forcing him to retire hurt. Yuvraj too has a ligament tear in his left wrist, which ruled out his further participation in the ongoing second Test against Bangladesh and he didn’t come out to bat in the first innings of the second test.

“It is a difficult situation we are in. But you cannot do anything about injuries. It’s out of our control. We have to wait and watch what stands for these players in the few days ahead,” Kirsten said.

The South African, however, assured that Sachin Tendulkar was fine, putting an end to reports that Sachin has hurt his shoulder. “Sachin is all right, he is fine,” said Kirsten. Tendulkar had fallen badly on his shoulder while trying to catch Tamim Iqbal off Virender Sehwag.

Kirsten said that despite their injuries, Dravid and Yuvraj would not be sent home. “It was quite a nasty hit on Rahul and we have to see if he needs to consult a specialist. He is not going back now. Yuvi had torn cartilages on his left wrist but he will also stay back,” Kirsten said.

Looking back at India’s performance in the ongoing second test, Kirsten conceded that his bowlers were not too impressive on the third day. “We did not bowl as good as we can though the wicket is not easy for the bowlers. After taking 300-plus lead, you want early breakthroughs and knock the opposition down as soon as possible. There might have been some impatience,” he said.

Bangladesh rode on a blistering knock by Tamim Iqbal, who scored the fastest century for any Bangladeshi batsman, and a record 200-run stand between Iqbal (151) and Junaid Siddique (55) to reach 228 for three, having lost two quick wickets in the final session.

“We are happy that we got two quick wickets towards the close. We did well towards the close of play. Zaheer Khan was getting reverse swing from his final overs. The wicket will deteriorate tomorrow and hopefully it will assist the spinners,” Kirsten added. “We are leading by 83 runs and we want to get early wickets tomorrow morning. There are two more days to go and we are backing ourselves to win the game.”

Asked about Tamim Iqbal’s aggressive 151, Kirsten said, “He is an aggressive player. We have Virender Sehwag like him. It is good for your team. An aggressive player at the top of order can damage the opposition but knocking off quick runs early on.”

Speaking at the press conference at the end of opening day’s play in the second Test against Bangladesh, Ishant said the selectors were right in dropping him from the home test and ODI series against the Lankans as he did not deserve to be a part of the squad.

“It was a very hard time for me in those days (when he was dropped). I was desperate to play for the country. It was the first time I was experiencing that because for the last three years my career had been up and up. But I learnt from that experience that I should be patient in life and in bowling also,” said Ishant, who picked up four Bangladeshi wickets in the first innings.

“I don’t think with the form I was in at that time I deserved a place in the ODI side (against Sri Lanka). I thank the selectors for that. I don’t think I have any technical flaw. 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 learnt to be patient at the hard times,” he added.

Ishant also thanked his Delhi skipper Virender Sehwag and feels that the swashbuckling opener played a huge role in his comeback. “Moreover, all the senior players helped me a lot when I made my comeback. I want to thank Viru (Sehwag) as I think he had a role to play in my selection in the first Test in Chittagong,” he said.

The lanky pacer said that new bowling coach Eric Simons was helping him in gaining his rhythm back. “I think I have got back my rhythm. It is really good to get the rhythm back at the beginning of the season as a big series against South Africa is coming next month. It is good for me and for the team as we all are looking for the series,” said the 21-year-old right-arm fast bowler. “I am working on my bowling with Eric Simons. He tells me about my wrist and my bowling. So far it has been good. Let us see how it goes against South Africa.”

Ishant said that it was good to see the Indian bowlers bowling the home team out on the first day itself. “It was a good toss to lose as the wicket was damp in the morning with some dew. We bowled at the right areas and we remained patient for the wickets. You need to be patient to get wickets,” he said.

“We bowled at the right areas and kept applying pressure on them,” he added.

In reply, India had already knocked off 69 runs without losing any wickets, with the opening pair of Gautam Gambhir (26 not out) and Virender Sehwag (41 not out) at the crease. And with the conditions expected to favour the batsmen on the second and third days, Bangladesh would have to play out of their skins if they want to make a comeback in this game.

Earlier, Bangladesh squandered away a golden opportunity after they won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch that was a batting beauty. Two of their most experienced players, Captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful, got out to appalling shots as the hosts were tottering at 51 for 5 in the first hour of play. It was Mahmudullah, coming in at number 8, a number that Bangladesh seriously needs to reconsider, who rescued the innings forging partnerships with the lower order.

The last two wickets added 78 runs before Harbhajan got one to sneak through the defence of Rubel Hossain to leave Mahmudullah stranded on 96. Mahmudullah batted almost 30 overs with No. 10 and 11, but eventually ran out of partners. As he walked off though, several Indian fielders ran up to shake his hand, it was just that good an innings!

For India, Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan were the pick of the bowlers as they ran through the Bangladesh top order. Ishant finished with figures of 4/66 while Zaheer finished with 3/62. Pragyan Ojha scalped 2 wickets and Harbhajan Singh ended the innings with the wicket of No. 11 Rubel Hossain.

India would return on day two on Monday to first wipe out the 164 run deficit and then push for a big total to bat the hosts out of the match and complete a 2-0 rout in the series.

Match Summary:

India 69 for 0 (Sehwag 41*) trail Bangladesh 233 (Mahmudullah 96*, Ishant 4-66, Zaheer 3-62) by 164 runs

Sehwag said that after India were bowled out for just 243 in the first innings, it was important not to let Bangladesh take a lead and the Indian bowlers ensured that, restricting Bangladesh to 242 in the first innings.

“It’s nice to have a win in pocket. We were charged up after Bangladesh bowled us out under 250 in the first innings. The bowlers did a terrific job by not letting them take lead,” Sehwag said after the match. “Zaheer (Khan) and Ishant (Sharma) were outstanding with the new ball. Both Ishant and Zaheer were quick and got appreciable bounce from the wicket.”

The Indian bowlers were at it again in the second innings too, bowling the home team out for 301. Sehwag said that India would have to play consistently well if they desired to remain the number one Test team. “We have to play good cricket all throughout if we have to stay at the number one spot,” Sehwag said.

Man of the Match Sachin Tendulkar also lauded the Indian bowlers for not allowing Bangladesh to dominate the match. “The bowlers fought back nicely and got them out for 242 (in the first innings), which was terrific,” Tendulkar said.

He also added that his 44th Test century in India’s first innings was a special knock since it came when his team needed it the most. “The century was an important one because we lost wickets at that stage after a good opening partnership. The conditions were little difficult because the spinners were in action and the ball was also not coming onto the bat,” said Tendulkar, whose unbeaten 105 pulled India out of the hole in the first innings.

Bangladesh captain, Shakib Al-Hasan, meanwhile, rued a missed opportunity for Bangladesh, saying that his team had a great chance of seizing the initiative in the first innings while blaming the batsmen for squandering away the advantage.

“We didn’t bat well in the first innings. We played too many rash shots. Although the bowlers did a fantastic job in the first innings, we need to improve in all departments,” Shakib said. “We thought we had a great chance of taking a lead of 100 runs in the first innings but some rash shots did us in.”

The Bangladesh skipper, however, praised wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who struck a defiant 101 in the second innings to reduce the margin of defeat.

“He played really well, he played some fantastic shots. He is capable of scoring big,” Shakib said.

Laxman had hurt the webbing of his left hand while fielding during the fourth day’s play in Chittagong. He dropped Bangladeshi batsman, Shahriar Nafees, twice off Zaheer Khan before he left the field in pain.

Indian team’s administrative manager Arshad Ayub said the right-hander would return home and the team has decided not to ask for a replacement. “He received 10 stitches on the injured finger and will return home. We have not sought any replacement,” Ayub said.

Ayub said that speedster S Sreesanth, who limped off the field after sustaining a hamstring injury, would also be assessed soon. “He will be assessed in the next couple of days,” said Ayub.

Meanwhile, India will heave a sigh of relief with regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh being declared fit to play in the second Test. While Dhoni was nursing a back spasm, Harbhajan was struggling with a stiff neck.

“Dhoni and Harbhajan are recovering well. Harbhajan started bowling today,” Ayub said.

“The Indian bowlers picked me for sledging when I was batting well. They called me school boy. But I was enjoying it and answered it with my bat,” Mushfiqur, who scored a 114-ball 101, said at the post-match press conference after his side went down 0-1 in the two-Test series.

India’s stand-in skipper for the game, Virender Sehwag, who had called Bangladesh an “ordinary” side before the start of the game, refused to comment on Mushfiqur’s charge.

“I can’t do (say) anything about that (Mushfiqur’s charge),” Sehwag retorted without blinking an eyelid.

Mushfiqur also echoed the same sentiments as that of his captain Shakib Al Hasan, saying that South Africa and Australia are better sides than India.

Asked about what he considers India’s biggest strength is, Mushfiqur said, “Definitely batting. They have a strong batting line-up which is much better than their bowling. But Australia and South Africa are better sides than India.”

“Their (India’s) bowling was good in patches. Sometimes they bowled well but other times they were bowling badly,” added the Bangladeshi wicket-keeper who notched up his maiden century Thursday, which was also the fastest ton by a Bangladeshi batsman.

He said that if the Bangladeshi top order had showed some resilience, his side could have gone for a win or at least a draw. “The top order did not do well but we can improve in the next match. We bowled well in the match. Shakib (the captain) is our main bowler and he did really well in the match. I hope we can do better in the next match,” he said.

India needed eight wickets to wrap up the match on the final day and it took them almost two sessions to complete a comprehensive win despite a poor batting show in the first innings.

Chasing a target of 415 to win, Bangladesh resumed the final day at 67 for 2. Tamim Iqbal (52) scored a gritty half century while Mushfiqur Rahim certainly put forward a case of batting him up the order by scoring a gutsy 101 but Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 301 in 75.2 overs.

Rahim took 112 balls to reach his maiden test century, the fastest by any Bangladeshi batsman, throwing his bat at almost everything. His innings included 17 fours and a six before being the last man out when he was caught at long off by Ojha off the bowling of Amit Mishra.

Amit Mishra (4/92), Ishant Sharma (3/48), and Zaheer Khan (2/90) did the job for the Indians, chipping in with wickets at regular intervals to bowl out the hosts at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

With this win, India maintained their unbeaten record in Bangladesh. They have now won five out of six matches in Bangladesh, including a drawn Test in 2007.

The test was in the news right from the beginning as it started with a war of words between the two captains after India’s stand-in captain Virender Sehwag described the hosts as an ordinary side. It was also a memorable game for opening batsman Gautam Gambhir who became the only fourth batsman to have scored five successive Test tons, just one away from Sir Don Bradman’s record of Six tons in Six consecutive tests.

Sachin Tendulkar also reached the milestone of becoming the only player to score 13,000 Test runs by notching up his 44th hundred, which also earned him Man of the Match award.

Both the teams now move to Mirpur for the second and final Test starting on Sunday.

Match Summary:

India 243 (Tendulkar 105, Sehwag 52, Shakib 5-62, Shahadat 5-71) and 413 for 8 dec. (Gambhir 116, Laxman 69, Mishra 50) beat Bangladesh 242 (Mahmudullah 69, Zaheer 3-54, Mishra 3-66) and 301 (Mushfiqur 101, Tamim 52, Mishra 4-92, Ishant 3-48) by 113 runs

Man of the Match: Sachin Tendulkar