1st Test: India v Zimbabwe at Delhi, 18-22 Nov 2000 CricInfo Live Report

1st Test: India v Zimbabwe at Delhi, 18-22 Nov 2000
Anand Vasu

Zimbabwe 1st innings: Lunch - Day 1, Stumps - Day 1,

DEFENSIVE INDIA FAIL TO CAPITALISE ON VITAL BREAKTHROUGHS

Having lost the toss, Sourav Ganguly was forced to take the field on the first day of the first Test at Delhi. Although the toss was not a bad one to lose, if India had batted first, they might have managed to secure more of a psychological than was achieved at the end of one day's bowling. However, it must be said that the healthy crowd present at the Ferozeshah Kotla had enough to cheer about as India restricted Zimbabwe to 232/5 at stumps.

Earlier, an energetic spell of fast bowling from Srinath reduced the visitors to 15/2. Scalping openers Grant Flower (0) and Gavin Rennie (13) in quick succession, Srinath got the momentum going in India's favour. A quick delivery, slanting in to Grant Flower saw him shoulder arms and lose his bails. Rennie edged the ball soon after to Vijay Dahiya and the visitors were in trouble. Alistair Campbell, who has already made a century in this tour, was forced to consolidate Zimbabwe's position. For company he had Stuart Carlisle.

The pair took Zimbabwe safely through to lunch at 62/2. After putting on a 120 run partnership that defied the Indian spinners and seamers alike Carlisle succumbed. Driving hard at a Sachin Tendulkar delivery that stopped on him, Carlisle found the hands of Sunil Joshi at covers. Carlisle's patient knock saw Zimbabwe out of the woods, but by no means gave them the kind of start they would have been looking for. Occupying the crease for over three hours, Carlisle struck ten boundaries in his innings of 58.

Alistair Campbell had to then shoulder most of the responsibility and he had for company Andy Flower. Easily the top two batsmen in the Zimbabwe line up, the Campbell-Andy Flower duo teamed up again. Unfortunately for the visitors, their association did not last long. After making a crucial contribution with his 70, Campbell, chased a Srinath delivery and only managed to nick the ball. VVS Laxman, safe as ever in the slip cordon held a good catch and Zimbabwe were once again in trouble at 154/4. If they looked to Guy Whittall to help stem the rot, they had cause to be disappointed. Attempting to sweep Joshi against the spin, Whittall misjudged the length of the delivery. The ball ricocheted off something, perhaps the glove, perhaps the forearm and Rahul Dravid appealed valiantly after taking a smart catch. Umpire Venkataraghavan's lethal forefinger, once used to deliver quality off spinners, went up and Whittall was on his way. He picked up the second duck of the Zimbabwe innings.

At 155/5 the Zimbabweans were in a very difficult position. A couple of quick wickets and things would be all but over for them. Skipper Heath Streak, who has been enjoying his batting so much more after being handed the captaincy, walked out to the middle with a lot depending on him. Batting with confidence, Streak proved the ideal foil for the stoic Andy Flower. While Streak used the full face of the bat to play the bowlers back in the 'V' Andy Flower swept his way to a good half century. Not afraid to improvise even in a Test match, Andy Flower unveiled the reverse sweep and kept the spinners at bay. When stumps was called, Zimbabwe were on a healthy 232/5. Flower had 55 to his name while Streak was on a useful 25.

India's decision to go into the match with only four bowlers was telling. Although India made inroads into the Zimbabwe batting, they were not able to capitalise. Murali Kartik was once again underused. This meant that India were playing with three and half bowlers. Having got Zimbabwe in trouble first a 15/2 and then at 155/5, India let the visitors off the hook. When the Zimbabweans resume their resistance tomorrow they will do so with the confidence that their position could have been much, much worse.

SRINATH STRIKES EARLY AFTER ZIMBABWE ELECT TO BAT FIRST

India went into the first Test match against Zimbabwe at the Ferozeshah Kotla with two spinners and two mediumpacers, six batsmen and a specialist wicketkeeper. Given the condition of the wicket, this must be viewed as a sensible decision. Zaheer Khan, who has impressed with his ability to surprise the batsmen with bursts of extra pace misses out to the more experienced Ajit Agarkar. Shiv Sunder Das retains his place at the top of the order and VVS Laxman makes yet another comeback, this time in the middle order.

Zimbabwe in turn have been adventurous, going into the match with two specialist spinners. They have chosen to go with the inexperienced Brian Murphy, who suffered heavily at the hands of Virender Shewag in a warm up game. Skipper Heath Streak, Henry Olonga and Bryan Strang make up the mediumpace attack.

A sharp spell of bowling first thing in the morning from Javagal Srinath reduced Zimbabwe to 15/2. Grant Flower made the mistake of shouldering arms to an incoming delivery and found the bails on the floor behind him. At that point neither he nor Zimbabwe were off the mark. A start as bad as any, Zimbabwe fell back on Gavin Rennie and Stuart Carlisle to do the damage control. Unfortunately for the visitors, Rennie too was back in the pavilion soon after. Edging a quick ball from Srinath, Rennie turned around to see Vijay Dahiya pouching a good catch. Umpire John Hampshire waited for Rennie to walk, Rennie waited for the finger to go up... After a few foolish moments out in the middle both reacted and he gave way to Alistair Campbell.

Sourav Ganguly decided that enough mediumpace had not been bowled and after Srinath finished his spell, the skipper brought himself on. Bowling gentle mediumpacers on a flat Kotla wicket, Ganguly gave the Zimbabwean batsmen a chance to settle down. Sunil Joshi was the first spinner introduced and he bowled tidily enough. Murali Kartik, who was underbowled in the Test at Dhaka had to wait quite a bit before he was handed the ball. Sachin Tendulkar bowled his cocktail of leg spinners and off breaks and it was only fifteen minutes before lunch that Kartik was pressed into service.

At lunch, Zimbabwe had staged a good recovery from their earlier position of 15/2. With 62 runs on the board and no further damage done, they will be reasonably happy with their position. Stuart Carlisle (31) and Alistair Campbell (13) will return after lunch to continue the consolidation.