India beat Zimbabwe by 64 runs in second ODI

Mohali, March 10: India beat Zimbabwe by 64 runs in second ODI  being played at Mohali.  A Kumble was declared the Man of the Match.

That was in the 22nd over of the innings with Travis Friend and Stuart Campbell making a seeming mockery of the run-chase. The fielding was like a leaking pipe, the bowling was wayward and captain Sourav Ganguly was looking like he had aged in the matter of a 20 overs.

But there was to be no repeat of the miracle of Faridabad in the second one-day International at Mohali on Sunday and India and Zimbabwe are now locked at 1-1 with three to go.

The home side learned on Sunday that the best way to stem the flow of runs is to pick up wickets. A heap of wickets between that of Friend (63 from 59 balls) in the 22nd over and Andy Flower (29) in the 34th meant Zimbabwe had lost six batsmen for 67 runs and after that it was just a matter of wrapping up the tail.

The Zimbabwe tail of course contains one Douglas Marillier and that was the name on everyone's lips since his astonishiung display in the first one-dayer on Thursday.

This time he lasted only four balls, caught behind off a wild swing and it was only when his wicket fell at 229 for eight that the Indians really believed they could win this one.

It was 137 for one in Zimabwe's 21st over and that was exactly the same as India's score at the same stage. But then local hero Harbhajan Singh — under his own benign and massive gaze staring down from the now-defunct electronic scoreboard — struck twice and the back of the batting was broken.

The stand between Friend and Campbell was worth 134 from 123 — no crude slogging, just smart batting — when the off-spinner had Friend beaten by a floater and Ajay Ratra had the bails off in a flash.

Ratra was like lightning on Sunday and it was his superb throw to the bowler's end that saw Grant Flower out of his crease. Before that Harbhajan had Campbell lbw for 62 from 75 balls. He also picked up the last wicket as Zimbabwe were all out for 255.

The left arm spin of another local lad, Dinesh Mongia also proved pretty useful as he picked up three of the tailenders to go with his 45.

Mongia and Ganguly laid the basis for India's highest total at Mohali and their best ever against Zimbabwe. The hundred was up in 13.5 overs before Mongia was the first to go at 109.

Zimbabwe's bowlers bowled a clutch of wides and no-balls and conceded 34 extras in all. That meant their over-rate was abysmal and they were penalised one over — a surprising bit of leniency on the part of matchreferee John Reid.

VVS Laxman weighed in with his second successive half-century while Rahul Dravid was not out on 66. Ganguly top scored with a typically busy 83 from 84 balls before he was run out.