1st ODI: India v Zimbabwe at Faridabad, 7 Mar 2002 Santhosh S |
India innings:
Pre-game: Zimbabwe innings: |
Chasing a target of 275 in 50 overs, Zimbabwe got off to an inauspicious start. Craig Wishart (1) was cleaned up off the last ball of the first over, the fast delivery from Zaheer Khan sending the off stump cart wheeling.
Travis Friend was penciled in as the pinch hitter by the team management much before the start of the match. All Friend could manage was a four off Agarkar through extra cover. Getting carried away with his new role, Friend (7) managed to get an inside edge and the ball shot off the pads to disturb the stumps. Zaheer Khan had dealt two big blows to have Zimbabwe struggling at 21/2 at the start of the fifth over.
The dismissal of Friend brought together the two most senior Zimbabwe batsmen, Alistair Campbell and Andy Flower. The two left-handed batsmen were severe on Agarkar, scoring boundaries with ease. Agarkar gave away 35 runs off his first spell of six overs.
Andy Flower welcomed the introduction of Harbhajan Singh into the attack by playing two powerful sweeps past the ropes, the first shot clearing the ropes for a six.
Andy Campbell turned his attention to Sanjay Bangar, scoring consecutive fours off the medium pacer. Andy Flower’s ability to play spin is well renowned and he plays the reverse sweep to perfection. Harbhajan Singh found out that Flower still loves to play both versions of the sweep shots to perfection.
Andy Flower got to his fifty off just 58 balls with the help of six boundaries and a six.
Agarkar smashed six boundaries and a huge six in making those valuable 40 runs. Kaif's played the supporting role to perfection, striking four boundaries.
After being in the commanding position of 136/2 at the end of 25 overs, India found themselves in deep trouble at 211/6 in the 44th over. This came about due to a mixture of intelligent cricket from Zimbabwe and some poor running between the wickets that hurt India's cause.
Rahul Dravid (23 off 34 balls) was the third wicket to fall, trapped leg-before by Grant Flower in the 34th over with the Indian score on 171. Flower bowled extremely well, keeping things tight to finish with the figures of 10-0-31-1.
VVS Laxman played a very good knock of 75 off 99 balls, with five fours. He was unlucky to get out after Kaif sent him back, only to be run out by Dion Ebrahim.
There were further successes for Zimbabwe as Sanjay Bangar (0) was brilliantly caught by Travis Friend off Heath Streak at mid-off. Ajay Ratra (6) was also run out, going for a single off a misfield by Andy Flower and finding himself short of the crease at the bowler's end.
Agarkar walked in and was in murderous mood, singling out Brent's medium pace and hitting five boundaries off him. Streak too was not spared, taken for a boundary and a huge six over mid-wicket. Kaif also helped the scoring rate along by picking consecutive boundaries off a very expensive Friend (10-0-68-0)
Streak was the most successful bowler for Zimbabwe, picking 2/53 from his 10 overs.
India got off to a flying start as Dinesh Mongia and Sourav Ganguly smashed five boundaries off Travis friend in the first few overs. The Indian skipper was in a buoyant mood, smacking a six off Heath Streak, ball sailing over long on.
India lost Dinesh Mongia (25) in the ninth over to Streak, playing away from the body, the inside edge was neatly taken by Tatenda Taibu. The young Zimbabwe keeper made it all look so easy with some nimble footwork. Mongia struck four boundaries facing just 24 balls.
VVS Laxman walked in to bat with the burden of having to prove himself all over. There were no signs of nervousness as he caressed one boundary through the covers before following it up with the wristy-trademark-whip to the mid-wicket fence off the bowling of Streak.
Laxman and Ganguly kept finding the ropes off the bowling of Gary Brent and Douglas Marillier to keep the scoreboard ticking over at a good pace. Ganguly raced to his fifty off 63 balls to confirm that he is back in form. Then came the big lofted shot over long-on that sailed all the way for a huge six off Marillier.
Marillier had his revenge soon; a brilliant piece of stumping by Taibu put an end to Ganguly's brilliant knock. Ganguly made 57 off 70 balls, striking two sixes and half a dozen boundaries. Rahul Dravid came out to bat and hit a sweetly timed cover drive for four.
The pitch looks firm and hard with a fair bit of grass rolled into it. There must be runs galore today. As expected, India has left out Tinu Yohannan, SS Das and Sarandeep Singh.
The teams are as follows:
India: SC Ganguly (C), D Mongia, VVS Laxman, R Dravid, SB Bangar, M Kaif, +A Ratra, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, AB Agarkar.
Zimbabwe: Alistair Campbell, Craig Wishart, Travis Friend, Andy Flower, Dion Ebrahim, Grant Flower, Stuart Carlisle (C), Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu, Douglas Marillier, Gary Brent, Douglas Hondo (12th Man)
Umpires: SK Porel and I Sivaram, TV Umpire: SJ Phadkar, Match Referee: JR Reid (NZ)
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Date-stamped : 07 Mar2002 - 18:43