da betsson： India recorded an eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at Queens SportsClub soon after tea on the fourth day
da pinnacle： John Ward10-Jun-2001India recorded an eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at Queens SportsClub soon after tea on the fourth day. They had little difficulty inwrapping up the Zimbabwe tail, with considerable help from the victimsthemselves, and then knocked off the required runs, with Shiv SunderDas, after receiving one reprieve from the umpire and two from thefielders, scoring 82 not out.Zimbabwe began the day 158 runs ahead of India with three wicketsleft. Grant Flower ran himself out for 71 in the third over of theday, chancing a single in the midwicket area, only for Rahul Dravid toscore a direct hit on the stumps with the batsman seemingly unaware ofthe danger until it was too late. With him went Zimbabwe’s alreadyslim chances of taking the match into the fifth day.The injured Henry Olonga did not last long before being yorked byJavagal Srinath without scoring. Andy Blignaut chose a couple ofdeliveries from Harbhajan Singh to hit well, striking a four and a sixbefore a comedy of errors led to a fielder misjudging a catch and thebowler fumbling his return when there should have been a run-out. Itcontinued as Blignaut snicked a ball behind the keeper and BrightonWatambwa (0), the non-striker, raced down the pitch for a quiteunnecessary single when Blignaut wanted to keep the strike and waseasily stranded and run out in mid-pitch. Zimbabwe finishedingloriously on 328, leaving India 184 to win. Srinath, with threefor 71, returned the best figures.Zimbabwe believed they had Das caught down the leg side off the secondball off their innings, but the umpire disagreed. This decision couldhardly have been said to have affected the result of the match, butZimbabwe might well have made India fight much harder had it gone intheir favour. Watambwa was the bowler as both Heath Streak (knee) andOlonga (hamstring) were off the field with injuries, leaving the teamwith only three front-line bowlers, Blignaut and Brian Murphy beingthe others. Zimbabwe had no more chances before lunch, but forcedIndia to work hard to score.Zimbabwe had only themselves to blame for missing their nextopportunity, just after lunch, as bowler Blignaut dropped a low returncatch from Das when the latter had 18. He now began to hit out andtake regular boundaries off Zimbabwe’s depleted attack, but lostRamesh (17), well caught at slip by Stuart Carlisle off a hard slashfrom the bowling of Blignaut. He reached his fifty with anotherchance, a difficult one in the gully.VVS Laxman was next to enjoy a life, caught by substitute MlulekiNkala on the long-leg boundary, only for the fielder to step over therope as he took it. Laxman was soon driving the ball majestically,scoring at a speed that steadily reduced Das’ hopes of a century. ThenGrant Flower came on to bowl and off his second ball picked up a lowreturn catch to dismiss Laxman for 38.Sachin Tendulkar seemed almostto toy with the bowling as he cruised to 36 not out, with Das on 82when victory came.Zimbabwe really lost this match on the first day, when they battedmiserably on a pitch that was, as usual at this venue, ideal forbatting from start to finish. They could never make up the lostground and India, although perhaps there were areas where they mighthave played better, were never really in danger of losing their grip.It will require a much better and more consistent performance fromZimbabwe if they are to have any chance of levelling the two-matchseries. India have their first series win outside Asia in 15 years intheir sights and will not lightly surrender their advantage.
