India go into the second one-dayer against Zimbabwe on Sunday, hoping to find an answer to Douglas Marillier's unconventional strokeplay. Marillier masterminded Zimbabwe's one-wicket win with a quickfire 56 not out in the opening game at Faridabad on Thursday, surprising India with his superb improvisation.

The 23-year-old, the first batsman to score a half-century in one-day cricket batting at No. 10, stole victory from the hosts with his amazing ability to play unorthodox shots, especially the scoop over the wicket-keeper's head.

"We have watched videos of that innings and have things worked out," said India skipper Sourav Ganguly on the eve of the day-night encounter at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

"We now know where to bowl to him. It is not every day that someone plays an innings like that. We could not have done anything on that day as he took the game away from us," said Ganguly.

Marillier raced to his half-century off just 21 balls, the fifth-fastest in one-dayers after Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya (17 balls), Australian Simon O'Donnell (18), Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (18) and South African Mark Boucher (19).

He used the scoop shot with telling effect against both left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan and legspinner Anil Kumble at Faridabad, cracking one six and 10 fours in his career-best knock.

Zimbabwe, chasing 275, were in trouble at 210 for 8 before Marillier saw his team home for a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Ganguly said his team's performance left a lot to be desired at Faridabad in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Javagal Srinath.

Injuries ruled Tendulkar and Sehwag out of the first three ODIs while Srinath was rested.

"Some of our main players are not available and the team has yet to pick up," said Ganguly, who also suffered a knee injury during the first match.

"But I should be all right. The injury is not such that it will aggravate and put the future tours in doubt. It is important for me to play," he said.

Zimbabwean captain Stuart Carlisle felt the pressure would be on India after losing the first game from a winning position.

"We would like to repeat our performance here, but I know it won't be easy.

There were some good individual efforts in the first match, but we still have to lift ourselves as a team."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd