The Hindu : Sport : Abysmal performance by Zimbabwe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2005

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Sport

Abysmal performance by Zimbabwe

S. Ram Mahesh

TIMBER! Irfan Pathan was in fearsome form, clean bowling three of his five victims. Here he celebrates Gavin Ewing's fall. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

HARARE: Zimbabwe's descent has been so vertiginous it made India look like the world-beater it once claimed to be. The cheers that greeted Heath Streak's last few strokes were as sepulchral as they were ironic and Zimbabwe cricket made the necessary phone calls to the undertakers.

After India struggled to eke out a par total, its swing bowlers carried on from where they left off

against New Zealand to help their side destroy Zimbabwe by 161 runs at the Harare Sports Club for a much needed victory in the third match of the Videocon tri-series here on Monday.

Irfan Pathan, in a magnificent display of left-arm swing bowling, winkled the Zimbabwe batsmen out for 65 to finish with career-best figures of five for 27.

Chasing 227 for its first victory in the last month, Zimbabwe went into a tailspin within the first

fifteen overs. Pathan curled one into Brendan Taylor who misjudged the line, shouldered arms, and heard the death rattle. Ajit Agarkar then dismissed Vusimuzi Sibanda and Hamilton Maskadza in an over to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 17 for three.

Therafter, all the action shifted to Golf Course End from where Pathan marked out his run-up. Carlisle was trapped in front and Sourav Ganguly sprawled forward to wrap his fingers around a checked shot from Tatenda Taibu. Charles Coventry, Zimbabwe's last Super Sub, played on to Pathan, who tickled Gavin Ewing's timber soon after. In between, Agarkar caught Andy Blignaut

shuffling.

Thirty six for eight. Agarkar (four for 18) and Harbhajan Singh mopped up the tail after Prosper

Utseya made a strong case for a promotion.

Some shuffling

For India, Suresh Raina — India's second Super Sub in two matches — replaced Virender Sehwag, who pulled out unwell on the morning of the match. Venugopala Rao moved to the top of the order with Sourav Ganguly.

Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu won the toss and chose to bowl on a lively track. Rao left in the first over, undone by a Streak corker. The Andhra youngster has made a habit of collecting unplayable deliveries, having received a devastating yorker from Shane Bond last match. Rao was squared up by the delivery, which shaped towards leg stump before catching the edge near off. Taibu flung himself in front of first slip with an outstretched right glove.

Mohammad Kaif, promoted to number three, and Ganguly steadied the innings, playing themselves in. Except for a stunning Kaif straight drive, runs came square and off the backfoot — pulls and forcing shots on tiptoe. But neither rotated the strike enough. The pair brought up the fifty of the innings and half-century partnership in the fifteenth over before Ganguly helped Anthony Ireland to short-fine leg.

Power Plays 1, 2 and 3 were a monolith, choked of singles; 16 in 20 overs. Rahul Dravid was not himself, often off balance, and it was no surprise when off-spinner Prosper Utseya knocked his stumps back.

Kaif got to his thirteenth ODI half-century off 97 balls and needed to kick on to catch up with a strike rate of 100. But Ewing flummoxed him in the air and leapt near non-striker Yuvraj's feet to accept the miscue. The 23-year-old from Uttar Pradesh left the field for 65 off 122 balls (7x4), his job half-done.

M.S. Dhoni shook off some of the grog, belting Utseya's last over for a six and a four. A couple of steps down the wicket to Ireland and a steepling heave over square leg followed. The forty-fifth over marked the second time after the first over that the run rate crept over four.

More biffing and bashing, and Dhoni was past 50 in 39 balls, his first ODI half-century to go with his century against Pakistan. Andy Blignaut suffered, conceding 18 runs in the forty-eighth over courtesy two Dhoni sixes, one of which cleared the ground.

Yuvraj found his hitting rhythm as well, teeing off against Ireland with a sand wedge and moving past 50. Dhoni departed for 56 (46b, 2x4, 4x6) in the final over, ending a 103-run partnership off 87 balls with Yuvraj.

More final over chaos: Agarkar came and went, a scrambled single and India reached 226.

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