Cricket: Bangladesh collapse for 90

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's bowlers, with offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan to the fore, dismissed Bangladesh for a paltry 90 just after lunch on the opening day of their Asian test championship match last night (NZ time).

Muralitharan finished with five for 13 from 9.4 overs and paceman Chaminda Vaas three for 47 from 14 overs.

After winning the toss and putting the visitors into bat in the first test between the two sides, Sri Lanka soon took command.

The pacemen struck first, with Vaas claiming two early wickets, and Muralitharan then grabbed three more in just under four overs as Bangladesh struggled.

At tea, Sri Lanka were 114 for two.

Ravindra Pushpakumara and Ruchira Perera were recalled to the Sri Lanka side to add more firepower against a Bangladesh side considered vulnerable to pace bowling.

Bangladesh lost by an innings and 264 runs to Pakistan in the opening match of the Asian championship.

They play New Zealand in the Boxing Day test in Wellington.

* Saurav Ganguly was retained as captain yesterday for India's tour of South Africa starting next month, despite the recent 2-1 test series loss to Sri Lanka.

India's national selectors said the rest of the team for the tour, which includes three tests and a triangular one-day series also involving Kenya, will be named tomorrow.

Critics had been calling for Ganguly's removal after India lost the second of two tests to draw an away series 1-1 in Zimbabwe and then went on to lose in Sri Lanka.

But the selectors said they wanted to give Ganguly another opportunity.