INDIA PIP ZIMBABWE BY 13 RUNS
Zimbabwe made their victory charge just a little too late, losing by 13 runs to India, their second successive defeat in the Champions Trophy in Sharjah. On an evening when there was much less dew in the outfield, the Indian attack spearheaded by Zaheer Khan were able to hold off Zimbabwe, but not without a measure of discomfort. A gallant 118 run third wicket stand between Andy Flower and Stuart Carlisle laid a sound platform from which to make a victory charge. Flower was the more adventurous of the two, always ready to take a risk or two in order to disrupt the rhythm of the bowlers.
He fell for 63 (68 balls), sweeping at Tendulkar but failing to clear Joshi at midwicket. Carlisle had been an able lieutenant, opening out after a slow start to play some rasping pulls through the midwicket region. When Joshi bowled him for 60 (99 balls) as he made room to cut, it left Zimbabwe at 165/4 in the 37th over. The loss of both these protagonists in quick succession as they sought to raise the ante did not quite leave Zimbabwe out of the picture.
Grant Flower and Guy Whittall then added 49 at a run a ball and entering the final six overs, Zimbabwe were actually ahead of India at the corresponding stage. But they were unable to match the Indian tailenders in making optimum use of the final few overs. Flower was caught at the edge of the circle by an Agarkar slower ball and then although Heath Streak struck the same bowler for a massive straight six in the penultimate over, the target was just out of their reach as they settled at 252/6. Zaheer Khan was declared man of the match for his brilliant spell of 3/37.
FLOWER, CARLISLE CONSOLIDATE FOR ZIMBABWE
Zaheer Khan's fifth ball saw Alistair Campbell, back after a one-match suspension, offer a stinging catch to the left of Rahul Dravid at second slip which was put down. Campbell rubbed it in by striking Venkatesh Prasad for two fours in the second over of the innings. They were to be the only boundaries for quite a while though.
Zaheer was not to be denied as Doug Marillier found out in the fifth over, having his offstump knocked back to leave Zimbabwe at 21/1. Prasad had a good leg before shout against Campbell turned down by Daryl Harper but the in-form opener failed to make the most of his chances. Zaheer got one to cut back sharply and cannon into off stump as the batsman tried to steer it square of the wicket. Campbell had made 28 out of 32 and Andy Flower now joined Stuart Carlisle at the crease. Zaheer went off after a six over spell yielding 2/17.
A double bowling change followed as Ajit Agarkar and Sunil Joshi were introduced in the 13th and 14th overs. In Agarkar's second over, Flower stroked him to fine leg for the first boundary in 76 balls as the two strove hard to revive the sputtering Zimbabwe reply. Flower frustrated Joshi by reverse sweeping him to the third man boundary but he was lucky a while later when a fierce drive that sought to clear the left arm spinner's head almost stuck in the bowler's outstretched fingers. At the end of 25 overs, Zimbabwe had progressed to 98/2 with Carlisle on 23 (60 balls) and Flower on 39 (46 balls). The two Singhs, Yuvraj and Robin, had just been pressed into the attack by Ganguly.
LATE SURGE BY TAIL LIFTS INDIA TO 265
The fifth bowler's duties were farmed out to a third spinner in Alistair Campbell whose gentle off breaks were introduced in the 37th over. The three slow bowlers had gone for 65 in their ten combined overs by the time left arm seamer Brian Strang returned to the firing line and Strang lent a hand in Robin Singh's rather unfortunate dismissal for 22. A Dravid drive brushed his fingertips en route to the stumps at the far end with Robin caught out of his ground.
In the 44th over, Vijay Dahiya stroked a well pitched up delivery from Mbangwa through midon for the first boundary in over ten overs. Dravid however was at the end of his tether now and holed out to Grant Flower on the square leg boundary for 85 (121 balls). Dahiya and Sunil Joshi now joined hands in a brief though entertaining association of 28 in 20 balls at the fag end of the innings. Joshi (19 off 13) belted a nice juicy full toss from Friend over the straight boundary before his stumps were rearranged by Streak in the 48th over.
Dahiya mauled Friend's figures further in the penultimate over of the innings, slicing a full toss just over Campbell at deep backward point for four and following it up by lifting a half volley over the bowler's head for six. He was caught at square third man going for another big hit, for 32 in 23 balls, but Ajit Agarkar provided the icing by blasting Streak into the first tier of the stands over long on in the last over as India finished at 265/8. Ironically it was Dravid's fall that had given an impetus to the Indian innings with the 5.4 overs post Dravid producing a mammoth 59 runs. Friend who was taken for plenty in his last spell finished with the best figures of 4/55.
YUVRAJ FALLS AFTER SWEET CAMEO
Ganguly had suggested in his pre-match comments that he was shunting himself down the order to handle Zimbabwe's two spinners. Well, Travis Friend scotched any such pretensions by getting rid of the Indian captain in the 23rd over. Friend had been unafraid to bounce Ganguly, even if it meant giving away a stray no-ball or two. Following one such delivery which ruffled Ganguly just a bit, he slipped in an innocuous ball down leg which the batsman glanced loosely to Andy Flower who gathered the catch well. Ganguly's fall for a boundaryless 18 allowed Yuvraj Singh his moment in the sun.
Left arm spinner Dirk Viljoen was brought on by Streak and he immediately copped some punishment from Dravid who, with no sweeper stationed, rocked on the backfoot to get him away to the cover boundary. That brought up the hundred in the 24th over and Dravid posted his half century in the same over off 74 balls. Yuvraj took a little while to adjust himself to the pace off the wicket but it was a treat when he finally cut loose. He picked out Grant Flower for some choice treatment, lofting him into the first tier of stands over long on and then flatbatting the bowler in his second over for another six over midwicket.
But it was that man Friend who struck again. Coming back for his second spell, he hustled one round Yuvraj's legs that just nicked the leg bail on its way through to Flower. A blissfully ignorant Daryl Harper had actually signalled wide before his eyes homed in on the fallen bail and Yuvraj was on his way for a swift 34 off 39 balls. Robin Singh began brightly, sweeping Flower to the square leg boundary as India finished the 35th over on 160/4.
INDIA LOSE TENDULKAR, KAMBLI
India began quietly with Dravid and Tendulkar playing out a maiden apiece off Streak and Strang respectively. Tendulkar survived early on when he played a careless flick in the neighbourhood of short midwicket, Guy Whittall getting both hands under the low chance but spilling it. However Zimbabwe were not to rue that for very long as Streak pitched one up to him that swung out just a shade. Tendulkar (8), playing a full blooded drive, only got a feather touch through to Andy Flower.
Vinod Kambli, he of the wretched luck, arrived at No.3 and promptly took charge of the situation. The Zimbabwe bowlers erred in line, pitching on Kambli's legs, and the lefthander, fluently but chancily, kept whipping the ball off his legs through midwicket and squareleg. Travis Friend replaced Streak in the 13th over and Kambli pulled a short of length offering to the midwicket fence to bring up the fifty.
Next ball Friend surprised Kambli with a lifter that struck him on the forearm and the physio came on for some treatment. After the break during which drinks were also taken, Friend bowled another short delivery just about shoulder length, and Kambli pulled it to the man at square leg on the edge of the circle. The batsman looked beseechingly at both umpires for any sign of a no-ball call. No response was forthcoming and Kambli departed for 18 in 26 balls. Skipper Saurav Ganguly replaced him as India finished their first 15 overs at 56/2. India could take solace from Rahul Dravid's composed presence in the middle. Having stroked two boundaries off Streak, through cover and midoff, Dravid was looking in good touch.
INDIA PUT IN BY ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak won the toss and elected to field against India in the third match of the three nation Coca Cola Champions Trophy in Sharjah today. India made one change with Sunil Joshi replacing the injured Anil Kumble. Rahul Dravid is opening the innings with Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Saurav Ganguly will bat at No.4.
Zimbabwe made three changes in the side that lost to Sri Lanka on Saturday. Alistair Campbell returns after a one match suspension and Grant Flower also makes a comeback. Opener Mark Vermuelen and leg spinner Paul Strang are the ones to sit out. Fast bowler Pommie Mbangwa replaces fellow seamer Mluleki Nkala.
The teams:
India:
R Dravid, SR Tendulkar, VG Kambli, *SC Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, RR Singh, SB Joshi, AB Agarkar, +V Dahiya, Z Khan, BKV Prasad.
Zimbabwe:
ADR Campbell, DA Marillier, SV Carlisle, +A Flower, GJ Whittall,
DP Viljoen, GW Flower, *HH Streak, BC Strang, M Mbangwa, TJ Friend.
Umpires: Steve Dunne and Daryl Harper.
Third Umpire: George Sharp
© CricInfo
