4th Match: India v Kenya at Bloemfontein, 12 Oct 2001 CricInfo Live Report

4th Match: India v Kenya at Bloemfontein, 12 Oct 2001
Peter Robinson

India innings: Supper,
Pre-game: Toss,
Kenya innings: 15 overs, 30 overs, Innings,

INDIANS WELL ON COURSE FOR VICTORY OVER KENYA

India were well on course for an overwhelming victory over Kenya at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein on Friday, reaching 60 for no wicket off eight overs as they chased 91 to win when the supper break was taken.

The Kenyans had lasted just 37.1 overs in making 90 and when India began their reply after a 10-minute break runs flowed freely.

The Indians employed Deep Dasgupta and Virender Sehwag to open their innings instead of the usual pair, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar, but as far as the Kenyans were concerned, the change made very little difference.

Dasgupta hit the first boundary of the innings and then pretty much sat back and watched as Sehwag took charge as the pair brought up the Indian 50 in the sixth over.

When the supper break arrived at 6pm Sehwag was on 35. He had occasionally looked a trifle uncertain against the short ball, but he was still able to manage seven boundaries. Dasgupta, meanwhile, was on 15.

INDIA BUNDLE KENYA OUT FOR 90 IN BLOEMFONTEIN

India seemed certain to go to the top of the Standard Bank One-Day International series log after bowling Kenya out for 90 in 37.1 overs at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The Kenyans offered so little resistance that India were due to start their reply before the scheduled supper break and an early evening for everyone concerned was on the cards.

Collins Otieno became the fifth leg before victim of the innings when he fell to Harbhajan Singh for 16 at 73 for eight. Otieno and Tony Suji had put together the best stand of the innings, 23 for the eighth wicket, but this will have been of little comfort to the Kenyans.

Jimmy Kamande made just 5 before Javagal Srinath came back into the attack and bowled him through the gate with the first ball of his new spell at 86 for nine and the innings closed when Peter Ochieng had his off stump uprooted by Srinath after making 3.

Tony Suji was left unbeaten on 18, but it was an afternoon for the bowlers with Agarkar taking four for 27, Kumble three for 14 and Srinath two for 13.

KENYA STUMBLE TO 66/7 IN BLOEMFONTEIN

Anil Kumble joined Ajit Agarkar in tearing the Kenyan batting apart at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein on Friday as the East Africans staggered to 66 for seven after 30 overs in their Standard Bank One-Day International.

The Kenyans had been 27 for four after 15 overs, and they slipped deeper into trouble when Kumble claimed his second lbw victim of the innings, trapping Kennedy Otieno in front as he swept for 15.

Kenya were now 41 for five and almost lost a sixth wicket on the same score when umpire Dave Orchard gave Thomas Odoyo run out. The batsman had already left the field of play when the decision was reversed and it was not immediately clear whether the Indians had withdrawn their appeal or Orchard had communicated with the third umpire who informed him that the batsman had made his ground.

Whatever the case, it seemed that Orchard eventually arrived at the right decision if not necessarily by the correct process.

Odoyo’s recall did not do him a great deal of good, however. He made only a further three runs before Kumble won an lbw decision, from Orchard, as the batsman pushed forward. Odoyo was out for 12 with Kenya 44 for six.

And this became 50 for seven when Agarkar came back into the attack from the south end to trap Martin Suji leg before for 1.

After 30 overs Tony Suji had 10 with Collins Otieno on 11.

AGARKAR RIPS THROUGH KENYAN TOP ORDER

India’s Ajit Agarkar ripped the top of the Kenyan batting with three early wickets in the Standard Bank One-Day International at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Agarkar struck in his first, second and fourth overs to reduce Kenya to 13 for three and with Anil Kumble also getting into the act, the Kenyans were 27 for four after 15 overs with an early finish to the match beginning to look more and more likely. Kennedy Otieno had 8 with Thomas Odoyo on 1.

Ravindu Shah was the first to fall to Agarkar, bowled for a duck by the sixth ball he faced and David Otieno also failed to trouble the scorers before being bowled by Agarkar. At this stage Kenya were 5 for two with the first run off the bat still to come.

Kennedy Otieno eventually got the scoreboard moving with a four lofted over mid off off Javagal Srinath, but Agarkar then accounted for Kenya’s most accomplished batsmen when he had Steve Tikolo caught at the wicket for 1 at 13 for three.

With only a couple of hundred spectators scattered around the ground to witness Kenya’s difficulties, Kennedy Otieno and Maurice Odumbe desperately tried to rebuild the innings.

Agarkar’s opening burst lasted six overs during which he took three for 9 before, in a double switch, Sourav Ganguly brought himself and Anil Kumble into the attack. Kumble struck with his second ball, trapping Odumbe leg before for 6 at 25 for four.

KENYA ELECT TO BAT AGAINST INDIA

Kenyan captain Maurice Odumbe won the toss and elected to bat at a near deserted Goodyear Part in Bloemfontein in the Standard Bank One-Day International against India on Friday.

The Kenyans were playing their second match in the series, having lost their first game to South Africa in Benoni on Sunday and they made just one change, Jimmy Kamande coming in for Brijal Patel.

India, meanwhile, made just one change to the side that beat South Africa in Centurion by 41 runs on Wednesday. SS Das, who was struck on the head while fielding at short leg, was replaced by Jacob Martin.

Teams

Kenya: Maurice Odumbe (capt), Kennedy Otieno, Ravindu Shah, David Otieno, Steve Tikolo, Thomas Odoyo, Martin Suji, Tony Suji, Collins Otieno, Jimmy Kamande, Peter Ochieng.

India: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Jacob Martin, Deep Dasgupta, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad.