Grant Flower's pluck puts Zimbabwe in front
John Ward - 16 June 2001
Zimbabwe had a lot of hard work to do as they resumed on 31 for three
after dismissing India for 237. This they did with a lot of credit,
thanks mainly to a gutsy innings of 80 not out from Grant Flower, who
lifted his team from a shaky 110 for five to a lead of 64 runs at the
close with two wickets still in hand. At stumps on the second day of
the second Test match at the Harare Sports Club ground on Saturday,
Zimbabwe were 301 for eight.
In the morning, Dion Ebrahim began with confidence, playing some
particularly impressive drives, although he played and missed
dangerously at times. Andy Flower though only occasionally showed his
best form and was perhaps fortunate to survive an lbw appeal by Ajit
Agarkar when on 18. Despite that, he passed 1000 runs in Test cricket
against India alone.
The primary aim was clearly to occupy the crease during the first
session. India stuck to their pace trio for more than 90 minutes, with
Agarkar perhaps the best, restraining Flower and enjoying no luck.
They kept an attacking field and, with the slow outfield, threes were
more frequent than boundaries.
When Harbhajan Singh belatedly came on, Flower immediately came to
life. He reverse-swept him for four, and then swept and glanced a
further ten runs off the next three balls. But his eagerness to seize
the initiative proved his undoing, as off the final ball of the over
he pushed a catch to forward short leg and was dismissed for 45. It
was another good catch by Shiv Sunder Das. This was only the second
time India had ever dismissed him for less than 50 in a Test; on the
previous occasion he made 30.
Ebrahim sadly fell on 49, trying to hit across a quicker ball from
Harbhajan and being trapped lbw. At lunch Zimbabwe were back in
trouble at 113 for five, and Harbhajan had the interesting figures of
3-1-16-2.
Grant Flower and Heath Streak dug in with determination after lunch,
but both were free enough to play the odd powerful stroke, and were
not afraid to attack Harbhajan. With India maintaining an attacking
field with four close catchers, it was enthralling cricket.
Streak, on 11, became the first Zimbabwean to achieve the Test double
of 1000 runs and 100 wickets. They batted until half an hour before
tea until Steak (40) suffered an unlucky dismissal similar to that of
Sachin Tendulkar the previous day - when Steak was the bowler. The
roles were reversed now, as Streak misread Tendulkar's googly and paid
the penalty for padding up, the ball ricocheting from his pad on to
the stumps. Zimbabwe were now 175 for six.
Grant Flower, hitherto quiescent, now opened up with the aggressive
Andy Blignaut as his partner, and a flurry of runs ensued. Just after
tea, Flower celebrated his 50th Test match with a fifty, the first of
the innings after three forties. India were frustrated by the umpire's
rejection of an appeal for a catch at the wicket against Blignaut off
Harbhajan when he was on 29, and television replays seemed to indicate
they were unlucky. Blignaut celebrated with a remarkable six over
extra cover, taking Zimbabwe into the lead, but then moved down the
pitch to be stumped for 35.
Travis Friend, in his maiden Test innings, scored a valuable 15 before
being bowled by Ashish Nehra, while Brian Murphy (17 not out) also dug
in to give Flower invaluable support. India spared no effort, but
found the Zimbabwean tail much harder to shift with the second new
ball than the top order had been with the first. They fielded superbly
and bowled well, with Javagal Srinath the only bowler who seemed below
form.
© CricInfo
Teams
|
India,
Zimbabwe.
|
Players/Umpires
|
Grant Flower,
Andy Flower,
Dion Ebrahim,
Ajit Agarkar,
Harbhajan Singh,
Heath Streak,
Andy Blignaut,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Travis Friend,
Brian Murphy.
|
Tours
|
India in Zimbabwe
|
Scorecard
|
2nd Test: Zimbabwe v India, 15-19 Jun 2001 |
Grounds
|
Harare Sports Club
|