Jaffer notched up his fourth Test ton to lay a solid foundation for the team alongwith Karthick (82 retired hurt) as the visitors reached 326 for no loss.
DHAKA: Wasim Jaffer made amends for his pair of ducks in Chittagong by cracking a sparkling 138 before retiring ill as India took firm control of the second and final cricket Test against Bangladesh on Friday.
The 29-year-old Jaffer notched up his fourth Test century to lay a solid foundation for the team alongwith Dinesh Karthick (82 retired hurt) as the visitors reached a commanding 326 for no loss at close on the opening day.
Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar's strange decision to put the opposition into bat backfired completely as the Indian batsmen made the most of a placid track at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium to put themselves in the driver's seat on the first rain-free day of the tour.
Captain Rahul Dravid (88) was giving Sachin Tendulkar (9) company at stumps on a day which saw the visitors dominate the proceedings by scoring at a reasonably fast pace, unlike the rain-marred first drawn Test in Chittagong.
Jaffer and Karthick provided the foundation by stitching a 175-run opening partnership in hot and humid conditions before both of them retired ill because of cramps.
Karthick did not come into bat after the tea break but Dravid sustained the tempo with a flurry of boundaries against the hapless Bangladeshi bowlers who lacked the sting to pose much problems for the batsmen.
The home team were made to pay a heavy price for a couple of dropped catches as the Indians accelerated the pace of scoring in the last session which saw as many as 151 runs coming off 37.1 overs.
Kaarthick bravely soldiered on for 237 minutes, executing a dozen boundaries, defying an abdominal injury off a Mashrafe Mortaza delivery and multiple cramps before he had to be helped back to the pavilion by physio John Gloster at the tea break.
Skipper Rahul Dravid replaced Kaarthick after tea and merrily carried on the job of consolidation with a regal knock to take India past the 300-mark.
Tendulkar, who came on to the ground after Jaffer too retired due to cramps with the Indian total reading 281, looked cautious and defensive. He was yet to strike a single boundary.
India now have the perfect launchpad for a mammoth total to put pressure on the hosts, whose top order had come apart in the first Test.
After the disappointment of the rain-truncated opening Test, it was the first full day's play during the tour with the excellent drainage system in place on the ground making it possible to start the game on time despite last evening's heavy showers.
Bashar's decision to bowl first looked debatable, as his bowlers could not make much of an impact on the flat track where the ball kept low.
Kaarthick looked confident from the start, though the first boundary from the Tamil Nadu youngster's blade was a streaky outside edge that flew between the second slip and gully.
He unleashed a much improved shot three balls later, picking up a four with a spectacular bowler's back drive.
However, Kaarthick was lucky to survive in Syed Rasel's fourth over when he played away from the body and Saqib al Hasan dropped a dolly at second slip. The batsman was then on 10, with the Indian total reading 18.
Jaffer, seeming determined to redeem himself, began cautiously, but opened up as the session progressed. The Mumbai opener was severe on anything pitched short or wayward, and got half a dozen boundaries till the lunch break.
Jaffer continued to pounce on the loose balls after the drinks break, with a cover drive of Mohammed Sharif and a flick of Mohammad Rafique deserving special mention.
Resuming at the lunch score of 67 for no loss, the Indian openers were in full flow as strokemaking became easier and runs started coming in a torrent. While 67 runs were scored in the first two hours of the day, 73 runs came of 15 overs in the third 60-minute spell.
Jaffer was dropped by left-arm spinner Mohamamed Rafique off his bowling immediately after lunch. The batsman was then on 42.
Shortly after Jaffer reached his half-century, there was another personal feat in the next over. Kaarthick took one ball more than his partner to get to his 50 driving a tossed up offering from Mohammad Rafique to the cover ropes.
Kaarthick survived a confident caught behind appeal in the 42nd over with his personal contribution on 74. He attempted to cut a short ball outside the off stump from Sharif and Khaled Mashud gripped the ball.
Umpire Darryl Harper turned down the huge shout from the bowler and the close-in fielders, though television replays later indicated the ball had come off the bat.
Scoreboard
India 1st innings:
D. Karthick retired ill 82
Wasim affer retired ill 138
R. Dravid batting 88
S. Tendulkar batting 9
Extras: (lb-4, w-1, nb-4) 9
Total (for no loss, 90 overs) 326
Bowling: M Mortaza 19.4-4-49-0,
S Rasel 13.4-0-64-0,
M Sharif 13.4-0-56-0,
M Rafique 22-2-85-0,
Saqibul Hasan 13-1-33-0,
M Ashraful 8-0-35-0.
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