Zimbabwe all out for 287 on second day of first Test

Nagpur, February 22: Zimbabwean tailenders Travis Friend and Ray Price put up a spirited batting display to boost the tourists to a first innings score on 287 on the second day of the first Test here on Friday. Friend remained unbeaten on 60.

Anil Kumble was the most successful bowler for India taking four wickets in the innings. Zaheer Khan took three, while Javagal Srinath took one wicket.

On Thursday, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly looked a little worried initially. He shuffled his bowlers and changed their bowling ends when Zimbabwe captain Stuart Carlisle and comeback man Alistair Campbell were at the middle.

But as the shadows lengthened by dusk, the smile was back on his face.

Carlisle, who took a few days before accepting the captaincy offer because he wanted to give a thought for his batting average, might not be too happy after seeing his team slump to 248 for eight wickets at stumps on this batting paradise even after scoring his personal best of 77 and crossing the 1000-run mark.

Looking for a huge total after winning the toss on the opening day of the first Test here at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, the Zimbabweans could hardly seize the initiative, save 106-run second wicket stand between Carlisle and Campbell.

The Zimbabweans were looking at Andy Flower to repeat his last year's feat when he had scored 232 not out to save the match, but his lean patch continued to haunt him. Well before he could set his eyes on the ball, he misjudged a Zaheer Khan delivery, which castled his stumps.

Ganguly had strongly backed inclusion of wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta on

Wednesday but his show behind the stumps was all the more pathetic. His

collection was dismal, which saw India miss out on a few wickets. He dropped catches, missed stumping and on many an occasion he had no idea which way the ball would turn.

The Indians bowlers, especially Srinath and Kumble, must be cursing their luck in the middle but coach John Wright was seemingly disgusted in the pavilion. When Dasgupta dropped a catch, Wright went inside the dressing room and came back after a few minutes to see the Bengal wicketkeeper's failure to collect the ball. A dejected Wright could do nothing but to clutch his hair in desperation.

The Indian pacemen, especially Zaheer Khan and Sanjay Bangar, got good

movement and bounce from the wicket. Bangar was unfortunate not have got a leg before decision against Carlisle, then on 15, when an on-the-stump delivery hit straight on Carlisle's toe.

Dasgupta's poor show, however, helped India in one way. At a time when

the Zimbabwe skipper was heading towards a well-deserved maiden century, Dasgupta again fumbled to collect a Harbhajan Singh delivery. Looking at this, Grant Flower, who was at the non-striker's end, called for a quick single but before Carlisle could make his ground, Shiv Sunder Das-Harbhajan combination put an end to the captain's knock.

The Indian bowlers did succeed in removing the Zimbabwe top order but they again failed to wind up the opposition. Heath Streak added 24 before Khan's first delivery by the new ball sent him back but Travis Friend (33 not out) served a caution by hitting three successive boundaries to Khan in the same over.