Faridabad witnesses a Marillier miracle After India made 274 in their 50 overs, Sourav Ganguly must have been understandably confident of winning the first one-dayer against Zimbabwe at Faridabad. Ganguly himself made 57, but the highlight of the Indian innings was a splendid return to form by a sedate VVS Laxman, who scored 75 off 99 balls. Further down the order, Ajit Agarkar blitzed his way to 40 off 26 balls, a late surge that India needed at that stage. When Zimbabwe batted, Zaheer Khan picked two quick wickets, but Andy Flower (71) and Alistair Campbell (84) stitched together a fine partnership. Until Kumble broke through with the wicket of Flower, it looked like curtains for India. Zaheer then returned to the attack and snapped up two more, and Zimbabwe were reeling at 210/8 in 44.2 overs. But Douglas Marillier, playing the innings of a lifetime, unleashed a slew of clever shots to take 56 off 24 balls with 10 fours and a six. Zimbabwe won with two balls and a wicket to spare, a thrilling end if there ever was one.

A shell-shocked Ganguly speaks to the press Sourav Ganguly must have still been reeling from the shock when he faced the press after the Faridabad one-dayer against Zimbabwe. Douglas Marillier, playing one of the finest innings in recent memory, cheekily snatched victory from India just when the match looked to be in the bag. At the post-game conference, Ganguly commented on the stunning turnaround in the field. "Till the end, we thought we were winning the match, but Marillier played wonderfully well," he said. "It was an amazing knock. I have not seen anybody playing like this in international cricket during the last seven years or so. It was simply amazing." Ganguly talked about Marillier’s innovative scoop over the wicket-keeper’s head as well. "He wasn't merely playing one stroke. He played some other shots too but it was difficult to place fielders for that shot. Our bowlers were experienced but..." he trailed off. The Indian skipper was, however, full of praise for Zaheer Khan, who got smashed only in his final two overs. "Don't forget he had bowled well until that point. He had four wickets for about 15-16 runs, but Marillier changed all that." Looking ahead to the remainder of the series, Ganguly said, "Of course, we have to start afresh. We have to win the remaining matches and not show complacency. I think it is not a bad thing that pressure will be on us, as the youngsters will have to play to their potential. We go to Mohali on Friday with the sole objective of winning the game (the second one-dayer) on Sunday." He was also pleased with his own form, and India will look to that form to win them not only the next match but the series as well.

Locals cheer the son of their soil One of Faridabad’s biggest worries last night was whether local lad Ajay Ratra would get in to the playing eleven or not. There were rumours of Rahul Dravid being asked to double as a wicket-keeper to include an extra bowling option, so Ratra must have gone to sleep, like almost all of Faridabad, with his fingers crossed. "If Ratra doesn’t play," an elderly local said, "we are going to boycott the match. Why will anybody go to watch the match when our own son is not playing?" Another said, "Dil tod denge chotey ka (They will break the little fellow’s heart)." The morning brought cheer for them though. Just as Ratra’s inclusion was confirmed, the locals started trooping in to the Nahar Singh Stadium for what was to prove a fantastic match.

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