The Hindu : Sport : Skipper Taibu, Dabengwa lead fightback

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 14, 2005

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Sport

Skipper Taibu, Dabengwa lead fightback

S. Ram Mahesh

— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

BUTTER FINGERS: V.V.S. Laxman fails to catch Tatenda Taibu off Anil Kumble on Tuesday.

Bulawayo: For a while, like a pack of sharks who have forgotten their best set of teeth and have been fooled into thinking their bleeding is their quarry's, the Indians swam in circles. Zimbabwe had refused to roll over. Surely, this wasn't the side that had succumbed to New Zealand.

Discovering a backbone and staving India off, the hosts ground to 193 for four before sharper teeth and new blood were found. But Zimbabwe recovered through a fighting unbeaten half-century from Tatenda Taibu and a late surge by Keith Dabengwa to close at 265 for seven at the end of Day One in the first Test of the Royal Stag series on Tuesday here at the Queen's

Sports Club.

A silver lining for whatever it's worth was Sourav Ganguly becoming India's most capped captain with 48 Tests.

Taibu made the first of many right moves at the toss, choosing to bat on an easy-paced track. Brendan Taylor and Terrence Duffin are as comical a pair of openers as you will find in world cricket. Taylor wouldn't distinguish himself in a disco — his feet seem stuck in a giant wad of chewing gum. Duffin is the kind of man who epitomises the quirks of cricket. An athlete of such girth can choose just one other sport — Sumo wrestling. But the odd couple didn't give Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan a look in for three-quarters of an hour.

The Indian medium pacers squared up the left-handed Duffin; they bowled too short and did little else. India lacked the dimension of pace that can blow a hole through the opposition. Instead the bowlers worked away like water dripping on stone. Taylor forced a sharp catch out of Gautam Gambhir at short-leg off Zaheer, who was plagued by no-balls.

Hamilton Masakadza, since his century on Test debut, has looked a spendthrift. Three shots of glitter were unveiled: an off-drive that was counter balanced by his right leg kicking towards the stumps; a wrist-flick that sped on; and a caress through the covers. Zaheer changed his length and found a delivery that Masakadza gloved from near his shoulder in an attempt to avoid it.

Harbhajan's fate

Zimbabwe went to a satisfactory Lunch at 75 for two. Duffin and Dion Ebrahim then combined well. Harbhajan Singh — needing one victim to become the fastest Indian to 200 Test wickets — found that fate had conspired against him on Tuesday. Ebrahim let a ball go through his legs and Dinesh Kaarthick allowed it through his gloves.

The game drifted, Zimbabwean hopes soared. Duffin, meanwhile, wobbled towards a half-century on Test debut and reached it with an elegant off-drive. Pathan returned for a double strike in two overs. The portly opening batsman was beaten by movement and Ebrahim by lack of pace.

Wresting control

Four for 125 and India fumbled for the jugular. Anil Kumble was surprisingly under bowled as Taibu and Streak wrested control. The Zimbabwe skipper played a little beauty. Quick on his feet, Taibu read the spin and mixed up his attacking options to keep the bowlers off balance. Sweeps were followed by tonks over mid-on.

Streak — relieved of a troublesome blood clot — gave his captain sound support as the pair frustrated the Indians with a 69-run partnership, the second successive half-century partnership. He was let off by a diving Dravid, when he wandered down the wicket and was bent around a Harbhajan doosra.

Not a costly lapse

But the lapse didn't prove costly as Kumble removed him with a classic leg-break that turned and bounced — Dravid making amends.

The leg-spinner from Karnataka then slipped a flipper through a nervous Charles Coventry as India gained the ascendancy. Zaheer started a magnificent spell with the old ball against the dangerous Andy Blignaut. He softened the big-hitter with a bouncer and whipped a swerver that caught an adjacent pad.

But Dabengwa brought an uncluttered mind and an unfettered swing to the fray. Zaheer was hooked and clubbed. Kumble, in the final over of the day, was deposited unceremoniously over mid-wicket. Zimbabwe had regained momentum and earned some respect. India has to answer tough questions beginning with why it can't dominate a feeble side.

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