Four days and one session was how long the Zimbabweans lasted out at the Vidarbha Cricket Ground in the city of Oranges, Nagpur. The first Test match of the two match series ended in favour of the home team, as they marked their supremacy with an innings and 101-run victory. The visitors were left with thoughts of salvaging pride in the next match.

Zimbabwe captain Stuart Carlisle won the crucial toss and elected to bat. He was hoping that his team would be able to post a big total on what was considered a batsman's paradise. Despite a good beginning, the total that was finally scored was just not enough. The main batsmen failed to get their act together. The much-hyped `Flower Power' never happened, and it was a strong tail that got Zimbabwe to a total of 287. Carlisle and Campbell played their roles atop the batting order, scoring 77 and 57 respectively. But the middle order did not follow the script and only one gem of an innings from the all-rounder Travis Friend of 60 valuable runs made the difference.

For India, the smiling assassin Anil Kumble spun his way to capturing four wickets for 81 runs. With pace and a sensible attack, Zaheer Khan collected three wickets for 46.

The home team was ready to feast on the wicket that had lots of runs for the taking. The openers went after the bowling and gave India a positive start. Batsmen walked out to the crease and played solid knocks and the ones to write home about were those from Shiv Sundar Das, who scored his second Test century at the same ground as he did the first. Rahul Dravid was looking at getting to his 100, but a tiny lapse of concentration and he was on his way back after adding 65.

Sachin Tendulkar seldom disappoints and this was an occasion to let loose. Entertaining the locals who had flocked to see him, he indulged them with an array of shots, even the unorthodox ones, as he got to his 28th Test century and then looked like getting a double. But that would have to wait for another time, another place, as he wound up at 176. All-rounder Sanjay Bangar brought his good form from the domestic games into the Test arena as he scored his maiden Test century in only his second match. A huge total had to result from such brilliant shows with the bat and India declared at 570 for seven.

Set a daunting task by the home team, the Zimbabweans took the field for the second time, towards the end of the penultimate day of the match. They had to score 283 to make India bat again. Nothing seemed to go right for them. The batting just did not click, with scores of 28 and 30 being amongst the highest atop the batting order, barring one courageous innings by Trevor Gripper who held out almost till the end with 60 face-saving runs. It was a matter of time before India knocked out all the stuffing in the Zimbabwean bag of runs. The bag was eventually emptied with 182 runs on the board.

India triumphed in style. With a sizable win of an innings and 101 runs, she goes into the next match with her morale high. The spin twins Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh put the visitors in a whirl as they claimed five and four wickets respectively. Anil Kumble took his overall tally to 309 wickets with nine wickets added in this Test.

Ferocious at home, the India tigers could try and transform the art of doing well at home into a more challenging art of performing overseas. But for the time being, winning is always a good feeling.

Zimbabwe! My heart goes out to them, for they really had no clue as to what was happening in Sri Lanka with Murali spinning them round his little finger. And here, in India the second-most spin-friendly nation, it looks like they still have a lot to learn in that department. In a way that is a good thing. For what is a life worth living, where you learn nothing?

Delhi will be the next testing ground for these two cricketing nations. Mini battles will be fought, and mini triumphs and defeats will be achieved, but it is the larger picture that will tell the final story. And we will just have to wait and watch.

© Cricinfo