Dravid given a chance to be the Indian skipper 

RAJKOT: India having already won the series 3-1 and the absence of the suspended skipper Saurav Ganguly. There are a number of reasons for this optimism. The match will be a challenge for the Indian captain of the day Rahul Dravid, who will be leading India for the first time and his opposite number Heath Streak.

Zimbabwe are about to embark on a tour of New Zealand and Australia and so they will utilise the match as a warm-up. Dravid said that even though his appointment as captain was for one match only, a "filling-up" he called it, he also added, "it is always an honour to lead one's country. The Rajkot wicket generally produces runs and we expect a high scoring game. We would certainly like to erase the memory of having lost our last two matches here", Dravid said.

But history also shows that ironically India, with their solid batting, have been at the receiving end at this venue. They have lost four out of the five internationals they have played here, the only victory coming in 1994 against Sri Lanka, by a slender eight runs. In 1996 South Africa beat India here.

"We are down to 13 men", Dravid said about Ganguly's suspension, "and will choose our team only tomorrow morning".

Streak said that some of his players were injured but would not divulge their names. "They will go through a fitness test today", he stated. The visitors too will pick their final eleven on Thursday.

John Wright, India's new and soft spoken coach said: "The series has given me a great opportunity to get to know the boys and their game and for them to know me".

He agreed that India's fielding needed to be toned up.

Heath Streak, who said he'd like to finish the tour on a high note, said that Andy Flower and his brother Grant and Alistair Campbell had had a very good series and "so did some of our youngsters. But we bowled too many loose deliveries."

Teams: 
India  - Rahul Dravid (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Aashish Kapoor, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Vijay Dahiya, Sunil Joshi, Hemang Badani, S Sriram, Venkatesh Prasad, Virender Sehwag and Reetinder Singh Sodhi. 

Zimbabwe - Heath Streak (capt), Guy Whittall, Alistair Campbell, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Trevor Madondo, Douglas Marillier, Brian Murphy, Mluleki Nkala, Henry Olonga, Gravin Reinie, Bryan Strang and Dirk Viljoen. 

 Borde to meet Wright on captain’s issue for the Rajkot tie 

Mumbai, Dec 13: National selection committee chairman Chandu Borde would consult with Indian cricket coach John Wright on Wednesday to decide on who is to lead the hosts in the fifth and final one-day international clash against Zimbabwe, which is scheduled for tomorrow at Rajkot.

Dravid has a splendid rapport with New Zealand's Wright who was Kent County’s coach when the star Indian batsman turned out in the English county league earlier this year. The change has become necessary since, Ganguly would sit out for the Rajkot tie because of the match suspension, he has received by match referee Barry Jarman for showing dissent against umpiring decisions during the fourth Pepsi Cup one-day game against Zimbabwe at Kanpur on December 11.

Ganguly earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first Indian captain to be so censured by a match referee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct. Ganguly will sit out of tomorrow's match in the one-day series here in which India has taken a winning 3-1 lead.

Mr Jarman, a former Australian Test wicket keeper, has also given Ganguly a suspended sentence for two matches till June 1, 2001. This means, if Ganguly breaches the ICC Code of Conduct again during the period, he will be kept out of the next two matches. Similarly, Mr Jarman decided to serve a suspended sentence of one match for wicket keeper Vijay Dahiya for showing dissent against an umpiring decision. His parole period runs concurrent to the skipper's.

Jarman served notices on the two players under three clauses (C-2, C-3 and C-4) dealing with bringing the game to disrepute, showing dissent to umpire's decision and intimidating the umpire. Ganguly and Dahiya demonstrated their dissatisfaction when umpire C K Sathe turned down their leg before wicket appeals against Zimbabwean tail-ender Mluleki Nkala. Ganguly made strong lbw appeals against Nkala in the 38th over of the match for what he thought were close calls and alongwith Dahiya showed deep displeasure when Sathe turned all of them down.

Dravid, who had deputized for Ganguly during the skipper's absence from the field at Ahmedabad in the third clash of the series, will get to lead India for the first time in a one-day international if he is named the captain for the last match at Rajkot

 Ganguly reprimanded, suspended for one match 

Rajkot, Dec 13: Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was on Tuesday slapped with one-match suspension for showing dissent and intimidating umpire during the fourth one-day international against Zimbabwe in Kanpur yesterday. The ban meant Ganguly will sit out in the series-ending fifth and final one-day international here on Thursday.

International Cricket Council (ICC) match-referee Barry Jarman of Australia announced the ban on Tuesday after going through the videotapes of the match. Wicket-keeper Vijay Dahiya, who also tried to intimidate the umpire, was however, let off with a milder penalty as Jarman handed him one-match suspended suspension.

The former Aussie wicket keeper Jarman said that Ganguly tried to disrupt the game after umpire C K Sathe turned down his three appeals for leg before wicket. Jarman said besides one-match suspension, Ganguly would have to undergo suspended suspension for two one-dayers from December 11 to June 1, 2001. "However, no monetary penalty has been slapped on him." Ganguly had made strong lbw appeals against Mluleki Nkala in the 37th over of the match for what he thought were close calls and showed his displeasure when Sathe turned all of them down.

India had won the match with thumping nine wickets and 25 overs to spare for an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the series. In the absence of Ganguly, Rahul Dravid will lead India on Thursday. Reacting to the suspension, Ganguly said he knew it (the ban) was coming, "but I don't want to say anything". 

 India defeats Zimbabwe by 9 wickets

Kanpur, Dec 11: In a sterling performance with the bat, the Indian openers Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly played some exquisite shots and made a mockery of the Zimbabwean attack. India won the match by 9 wickets and in the process, won the series. They are 3-1 up, with only one match to go.  It was great batsmanship from the duo as they tore the bowling attack apart. Tendulkar was the man out for 62, whereas Ganguly, who earlier picked up five Zimbabwean wickets remained not out on 71.

It was a disappointing performance from the Zimbabwe team, who just a few days ago won a thriller against India by one wicket. They were absolutely listless from the beginning. Though their openers started off well but after their fall, the others had no inclination of staying on the stumps and making a decent total. Indians took full advantage of it and won the match comfortably. Their fielding was nothing exceptional but Agarkar and Ganguly bowled really well to stop the Zimbabweans from making a good score.

Ganguly and Tendulkar batted very positively and from the onset, it looked that they wanted to finish it off quickly. They were aggressive and very severe on anything loose.  

 Ganguly, Agarkar wreck the Zimbabwean batting line up

Kanpur, Dec 11: Sourav Ganguly took his second 5 wickets haul, taking 5-35 in 10 overs and helped dismiss Zimbabwe for a meager total of 165 all out. Agarkar was the other main wicket taker capturing four wickets for 4 for 27 runs. Zimbabwe batsmen had no answer to the swing that these bowlers extracted from the pitch. But they were a bit unlucky as well. Opener Madondo and late order batsman Friend were given leg before by the umpires, when the ball was clearly going down the leg side. May be it was due to the constant appealing by the bowlers, who almost intimidated the umpires to give the decision in their favor. Guy Whittall, in fact complained to the umpires about it, but that had no bearing on the Indians, who were vociferous to say the least. The captain took charge and appealed as loud as he could and was did not shy away in showing his disappointment every time an appeal was turned down.

Campbell and Madondo were the top scorers of the innings making 32 each, but none of the other batsmen could stay on the wicket and make a big score. Agarkar got the ball to reverse swing and was the one to trigger off the collapse. Ganguly was very effective as he got the ball to come in sharply and got the batsmen in trouble.

 Problems on hand for Ganguly 

Kanpur, Dec 11: Ganguly's problems are increased by poor performances of his bowler at Jodhpur. They let the Zimbabweans batsmen off the hook, every time there was pressure. The skipper is not too impressed by Sunil Joshi's effort and he may be replaced by off-spinner Aashish Kapoor in the eleven. Reetinder Sodhi is also likely to sit out, making way for either Sridharan Sriram or Virendra Sehwag.

There is a hint of panic in the Indian team. For, it is the first time in four matches they have refrained from naming the 12. They are keeping their options open right till the end. Ganguly did however say firmly that he would go in with three seamers on this featherbed pitch full of runs. There is bound to be some help for the seamers early in the morning but thereafter it should be perfect batting wicket, full of runs. Thus another high-scoring match is in the offing.

On such a wicket, the role of the bowlers becomes crucial. The ones who hold on to their nerves and maintain their composure are likely to keep the opposition in check. Ganguly is thus not in favour of picking a bowler if he does not "able to put the ball on spot and deliver". He also felt he should bowl more rather than use Reetinder Sodhi, though both are similar in styles. Heath Streak has his plan well set out. If Zimbabwe post a big total, and the bowlers are able to remove the top three, then his team has a definite chance of another upset. "India rely heavily on their top three, Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. If we make early breakthroughs they will be under pressure as the latter batsmen are not as experienced."

And if Zimbabwe is required to chase a biggish total, then the success of the last match should hold them in stead. He, however, also realises that after the Jodhpur jolt, India will come back strongly, like a wounded lion. Thus the visitors will have to raise their game many notches if they are to keep the series alive till the final match. With Zimbabwe targeting the top three in India batting order, the role of the middle-order will become crucial if the visitors succeed in their plan. Yuvraj Singh is due for a big innings. He needs to show character and more patient under pressure. It's no use throwing away one's wicket to rash stokes too often. Hemang Badani was extremely unlucky to be run out in last match and would like to make up for it here. These two would be under spotlight as they are seen as the great future of Indian cricket.

Zimbabwe have their own `great future' in Muleki Nkala. After his heroics in Jodhpur he has suddenly become `known'. A nippy pace bowler and a free-flowing stroke maker, he as yet does not have the capability to win matches single-handedly. But he is sure to become one in due course. Till then one will have to satisfy oneself with glimpses of his prodigious talent, which the capaci ty crowd at Green Park will be out to see under brilliant winter sun.

Teams: India: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Hemang Badani, Vijay Dahiya, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Venkatesh Prasad, Aashish Kapoor, Virendra Sehwag, Sridha ran Sriram, Reetinder Sodhi, Sunil Joshi.

Zimbabwe: Heath Streak (captain), Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Guy Whittall, Gavin Rennie, Mluleki Nkala, Bryan Strang, Travis Friend, Henry Olonga, Bryan Murphy, Dirk Viljoen, D Marllier.

 Zimbabwe wins the match in an exciting finish 

Jodhpur, Dec 8: In an exciting finish, Zimbabwe won the match by 1 wicket. Needing only three to win with 4 wickets in hand, they lost two wickets in two balls. With 1 run needed off the last 2, Henry Olonga played the ball over the fielders and won the match for his team. Chasing a big total of 283, Zimbabwe were looking all set to win, with the Flower brothers going strong. But the loss of three quick wickets swung the match in India's favor. 

But a brilliant little cameo by Nkala, who made 36 in 27 balls took the match away from India. 

Earlier in the day, Tendulkar made a brilliant 146 and a late hitting by Zaheer Khan  got India to this huge total. Khan made 32 in 11 balls. With Zimbabwe winning this match, the series has come alive. 

 Tendulkar hits 146 as India reaches 283 in 50 overs 

Jodhpur, Dec 8: Sachin Tendulkar hit his 27th one day century, but the rest of the Indian batsmen failed to captalise on it and in the end,thanks to some lusty blowing by Agarkar and Zaheer India made 283  in 50 overs. Zaheer Khan made 32 runs in 11 balls including 27 off Olonga's over. 

Tendulkar hit a blazing 146 in 152 balls including 2 sixes and 15 boundaries and, at one point India looked all set to score over 300 runs. But as often, it has happened in the past, the Indian middle order collapsed without a wink and Tendulkar was the only one left to rescue them. But Joshi gave him good company and they were involved in a useful 57 runs partnership. Later Agarkar and Zaheer made some very quick runs and put India in a strong position. 

Earlier Tendulkar and Dravid were involved in a 114 runs partnership and were looking good at 135-1. But the fall of Dravid triggered off the collapse as they lost 4 wickets for 30 runs. 

 Tendulkar gives a blazing start against Zim

Jodhpur, Dec 8: Inspite of losing Ganguly early, India had reached 102/1in 15 overs, thanks to a blistering start by Tendulkar. He was in a blazing mood hitting the bowlers all over the park. He was severe on all of them, playing with his usual flair and class. His trademark cuts, drives and flicks gave no respite to the bowlers and he was still going strong on 73. Dravid was playing on 19. Last match centurion Ganguly was bowled by the Bryan Strang for 5.

India won the toss and elected to bat on this Jodhpur pitch, which looks to be a cracker as, it is full of runs. 

 Indian team would look to wrap up the series against Zimbabwe

December 7, 2000: With the lead of 2-0 in the series, the Indian team would be looking to wrap up the series, when they will take on Zimbabwe in the third one-day international match at Jodhpur. The earlier two matches have been a mixed bag. The first match was sort of a cliffhanger, as newcomers, Hemang Badani and the Indian lower order saved the day for India. The second match at Ahmedabad was a one sided affair, as Zimbabwe caved in meekly against the Indian score of 306. Skipper Ganguly scored a stirring century and gained a big psychological edge over the Zimbabwe team. Though India has to win just one match to take the series, but they would not be taking anything for granted and would like to wrap up the series in this match itself.

On the other hand, Zimbabwe knows, that this is their best chance to come back in the series and would pull all strings to make it a success. Though their batsmen have shown a lot of grit but it’s their bowling, which has let them down. Olonga, Murphy have been disappointing and the Indian batsmen have taken full advantage of that. All in all, one would hope for a good exciting match and not a one sided affair like the last one. 

 Zimbabwe goes down tamely to India

Ahemdabad, Dec 5: With a huge score of 306 to chase, Zimbabwe batsmen had no other choice but to go for their shots. But what they lacked was proper execution and that resulted in their defeat against India by 61 as they managed just 245-8 in 50 overs.

Their opener Marillier looked out of sorts and got out to Prasad after scoring just 2. Carlisle for a change looked uncomfortable and was unable to rotate the strike as freely as he had been doing. In order to break free, he was out to Zaheer for 1. Campbell looked good during his stay but did not last for too long. He made 32 in 38 balls. The man for crisis, Andy Flower was in superb touch but he ran out of partners and was caught and bowled by Sriram for 51. Though the late order made some good contributions but it was a lost cause as the total became too much to chase.

Earlier in the day, Ganguly made a brilliant century to put India on top. His 144 came in just 152 balls and were highly instrumental in taking his team to this mammoth total. Without any doubts, he was declared the man of the match.

 India posts a mammoth total against Zimbabwe

Ahmedabad, Dec 5: In a brilliant display of batting Sourav Ganguly hit 144 in 152 balls and helped post a huge total of 306 for 5 for his country. It was majestic batting from the Prince of Calcutta as he smashed 6 sixes and 8 fours. He took 20 runs of one over from Marillier hitting him for two consecutive sixes. He finally departed, when he tried to hit too many runs at the same time but only managed to give a simple catch at point. Dravid was the second highest scorer. He hit 62 off 88 balls.  

India won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch, which is easy to bat on. But they lost Tendulkar for just 8 to Friend. It was a cracking delivery from him, as it bounced and came sharply in and took Tendulkar’s edge on the way. It was yet another disappointing outing from the Zimbabweans, who have had trouble containing the Indian batsmen. Dravid and Ganguly were involved in a very good partnership for the second wicket as they piled up 175 runs. They ran very well between the wickets and hit a lot of boundaries. Any score above 250 is a very good one and with India making 306, the Zimbabwean task is all the more difficult.

 India wins the toss and elects to bat 

Ahmedabad, Dec 5: India won the toss and elected to bat at the picturesque Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium and started off well scoring 17 runs in 3 overs without losing a wicket. The wicket seems to be a ripper, as it is full of runs, says the curator and the rival skippers, the outfield is fairly fast and with both teams batsmen in superb form, this promises to be a cracker.

Zimbabwe is confident of leveling it out. Captain Heath Streak felt that his side had let India off the hook in the opening game. “We failed to push home our advantage after we dismissed India's top order batsmen in Cuttack,” Streak said after his side had rigorous nets inside and outside the stadium on Monday. “The match was pretty close and I think our boys played well though we got 20 to 30 runs less than what we had in mind”, he added. Streak will therefore be hoping to reverse the first game result here. The Zimbabwean was appreciative of the wicket and said: "We should get 250 or more runs on this pitch. It looks like a good batting wicket".

Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly also felt that there will be lots of runs on this pitch. "We played a Test match here last year against New Zealand and there were plenty of runs for both teams", he said. The Indian captain was positive about Tuesday's match. "We have beaten Zimbabwe twice in three of our last one-day encounters and so that gives us the edge."

The Indian captain praised for Hemang Badani, whose half-century was the vital contribution for India in the Cuttack match. "Even though he's young, he shouldered the responsibility at a very crucial phase of the innings", said Ganguly. India, however, will again depend heavily on Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly for, despite the good batting performances of Badani and Dahiya.  India will have to be far more careful in their catching than they were at Cuttack. "It was shameful at Cuttack... seven or eight catches dropped. It won't happen again", Ganguly promised. In the fielding department though, Zimbabwe certainly scores over India.

India have chosen the same team as Cuttack. SS Das and Nikhil Chopra have been left out and from the remaining 12, Sriram or Reetinder Singh Sodhi will play, said Ganguly. Heath Streak said that Travis Friend and Henry Olonga were fit but the Zimbabwean eleven would be announced before the match though they are likely to retain the same eleven which played at Cuttak.

India have won three and lost three of the six matches they have played at this venue so far. Zimbabwe have been beaten in both their earlier outings here and will undoubtedly be hoping to make it third time lucky.

The teams (from): India: Saurav Ganguly (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Hemang Badani, S Sriram, Vijay Dahiya (wicketkeeper), Sunil Joshi, Zaheer Khan, Venkatesh Prasad, Ajit Agarkar and R S Sodhi.

 Badani shapes Indian victory

Cuttack, December 2: Hemang Badani played a brilliant innings of 58 in 69 balls to lead India to a three-wicket victory against Zimbabwe. Playing their first one-day international of the series, India was looking in trouble at one point as they lost 5 wickets for 35 runs. But Badani kept his cool and took India home comfortably.

Chasing a target of 253 in 49 overs, Indian team started off well with Tendulkar and Ganguly going strongly. Tendulkar, who was dropped, when he was on 15 played some aggressive shots. But his fall brought about the famous Indian collapse as they lost Ganguly, Dravid and Sodhi in quick succession. A good little partnership between Dhaiya and Badani brought them closer to the win but Dhaiya was caught and bowled by Murphy at a crucial point. Joshi, who did not bowl very well was out for a duck and at that stage India looked in trouble. But Agarkar played some good shots and along with Badani took India home. 

 Sloppy fielding helps Zimbabwe reach 253 for 7

Cuttack, December 2: A partnership of 115 runs between Carlisle and Campbell helped Zimbabwe reach 253 for the loss of seven wickets. Carlisle remained not out on 91. Zimbabwe began well but lost the momentum, when Campbell was decieved by a slower delievery from Agarkar. Some sloppy fielding from the Indians let Zimbabwe off the hook. 5 catches were dropped by the Indians, which might  prove costly. For the Indians, Prasad bowled well with figures of 10 overs for 27 with two wickets. Agarkar was the most expensive with the figures of 10 overs for 74. 

 Zimbabwe elect to bat in first one-dayer

Cuttack, December 2: Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak won the toss and elected to bat in the first one-day International against India at the Barabati stadium here on Saturday morning. Indians have opted for a strong batting side and further enhanced the bowling attack by including young all-rounder Reetinder Sodhi for the first one-day international starting here on Saturday. Reetinder Singh Sodhi will be making his one-day International debut for India.

Teams

India: India: Saurav Ganguly (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Hemang Badani, Vijay Dahiya, Sunil Joshi, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Venkatesh Prasad, Reetinder Sodhi. 12th man: Shiv Das

Zimbabwe: Heath Streak, Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Grant Flower, Andy Flower, Trevor Madondo, D A Marillier, Brian Murphy, M Nkala, Henry Olonga, Gavin Rennie, Bryan Strang, Dirk Viljoen, Guy Whittall, Travis Friend.  [ Live Score Card ]

 Chopra excluded from the team amidst drama

Cuttack, December 2: As expected Indian off-spinner Nikhil Chopra was prohibited from playing in the one-day series against Zimbabwe despite being included in the 14-man squad.

Indian cricket chiefs stated that though Chopra has been cleared by federal investigators for lack of evidence, still he will not play in the five-match series starting here on Saturday. The selectors picked Chopra for the first three one-dayers on the recommendation of captain Saurav Ganguly, but the Board of Control for Cricket overturned his selection. "We have been advised not to consider Chopra for the series," a team spokesman said, but refused to elaborate.

Officials also refuse to comment on criticism that the selectors should have been told not to consider Chopra before they picked the squad. The strange turnabout left Ganguly and coach John Wright a player short and without an off-spinner to counter the string of left-handers in the Zimbabwean ranks. "It's something only the selectors and the board can answer," a noncommittal Ganguly said. "We have to play with the team we have."

Chopra along with the others was suspected to be involved in match fixing and his home in New Delhi was raided by income-tax authorities in August, but the Central Bureau of Investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing by the player in it's match-fixing report. With Chopra unavailable, the Indians short-listed 12 for the opening match, with either rookie all-rounder Reetinder Sodhi or young Test opener Shiv Sundar Das expected to sit out.

Srinath would also be missing from the squad as he has opted out of the one-dayers after helping the hosts win the two-Test series 1-0 earlier this week. The batting strength of the rivals, which produced three double centuries and six hundreds in the two Tests, promises exciting fare in the one-day Internationals.

"It will be a close series because of the depth of batting on both sides," Ganguly predicted after a close inspection of the newly-laid wicket at the Barabati stadium here. "There will be plenty of runs which should please the crowds," he said. Captain Heath Streak was confident of his team chances."Our batting form has put us in the right frame of mind for the series," touring captain Heath Streak said. "This is our best chance to beat the Indians."

 India hoping to continue their winning spree 

Cuttack, Dec 2: Indian team would be looking to maintain their good form against Zimbabwe when they will take them on in the first one-day International at Barabati stadium in Cuttack. Indians would be looking to strengthen their batting side and further enhance the bowling attack by including young all-rounder Reetinder Sodhi for the first one-day international starting here on Saturday.

After a fantastic showing with the bat in the test series, captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday named a 12-member side leaving S Sriram and off-spinner Nikhil Chopra out, after the team had practice at the lush green environs of the Barabati stadium here. Ganguly was forthright in naming the first 10, including junior World Cup winning star Sodhi. This leaves in-form Shiv Sunder Das, who has played responsible, knocks since he made his Test debut in Dhaka, to fight for the 11th spot with left-hander Hemang Badani. If selected, Das will come lower down the order to further strengthen Indian batting.

The pitch at Barabati, badly damaged in the super cyclone last year and since been repaired, is expected to favour the batsmen and could yield about 600 runs, said curator Sarat Sahoo. What has heightened the interest among the local followers of the game has been the success of the diminutive opener from Orissa, Shiv Sundar Das in the three Tests he has played so far and the fine century he hit in the Nagpur Test against the same opposition.

Former Zimbabwe skipper Andy Flower’s magnificent run with the bat in the two Tests (540 runs in four innings for a stupendous average of 270), has astounded many while the other visiting batsmen, including Alistair Campbell, Grant Flower, Guy Whittal and Stuart Carlisle are in good nick.

Regarding the wicket, Ganguly felt it was full of runs but they have to improve our fielding to a great extent in order to back up their bowling

 Andy hits 232* as match ends in a draw 

Nagpur, Nov 29: Despite trying out 10 bowlers and only not letting Dahiya bowl, skipper Ganguly still couldn’t get Andy Flower out and with Zimbabwe 503-6, both captains decide to end it there. Flower made an unbeaten 232* his best so far. His innings laid the foundation of the Zimbabwe fight back as they were forced to follow on as they were dismissed for 382 in their first innings. He has been in exceptional form all throughout this series with the scores of 183*, 70, 55, 232*. He made sure that India had no chance of winning the match with this knock. What was amazing was the ease at which he played his shots. He reversed swept with minimum of effort and full success. It was a tremendous effort from the left-hander in this match and in the context of the whole series. He was rightly chosen the man of the match and the man of the series. 

 Zimbabwe reaches 416-6 at tea 

Nagpur, Nov 29: The Test match between India and Zimbabwe was heading towards a draw thanks mainly to a brilliant 189 not out by Andy Flower and some lackluster cricket by the Indian team. Zimbabwe had reached 416-6 at tea and with just two and a half hours to go, and Zimbabwe with a lead of more than 180 runs, draw seems like the only possibility. The sixth wicket, which fell was off Vilojean, who was caught by Ganguly at slips. That gave Sharandeep his fourth wicket of the innings and his sixth of the match. 

Andy Flower's innings have been a match saving ones as he is headed towards his first double century. His timing and placement has been impeccable and he played the reverse sweep exceptionally well. If he goes on to make his double century, then it would be not only a big thing for himself but also for his team.  

 Andy Flower does the rescue act again as Zim reaches 335-5 

Nagpur, Nov 29: Continuing his excellent form, Andy Flower was again in the thick of action as he was unbeaten on 134 as Zimbabwe reached 335-5 at lunch. Vilojean was giving him company at 15 after they lost two wickets in the morning. First to go was Campbell, who made his first test century. Khan snapped him up when he was on 102. Grant Flower’s stay on the wicket was short lived as Ganguly caught him off a very good ball by Joshi. He made 16.

 Zimbabwe fights back strongly, 238-3 

Nagpur, Nov 28: In a tremendous fight back, Zimbabwe played some excellent cricket and ended the 4th day at 238-3. The man in form Andy Flower was unbeaten on 88 along with Campbell who was on 83.  They had taken a lead of 11 runs and with one day to go, the match seems to be heading towards a draw. 

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe was dismissed for 282 and faced follow on as they fell short by 27 runs. Indian asked them to bat again and they were in further trouble when they lost three wickets for 61 runs, all of them taken by Singh. But a brilliant partnership between Andy Flower and Campbell consisting of 178 runs. Both played very well for this. They ran quick between the wickets and they did not spare any loose balls. They played the spinners with ease and none of the pacers posed any problem for them. Singh and Joshi were ineffective and in particular Joshi, who has not failed to disappoint. 

Zimbabwe would be looking to make some quick runs tomorrow and may be give India the chance to bat.  

 Zimbabwe fights back as they reach 147-3 at tea 

Nagpur Nov 28: After losing three quick wickets, Zimbabwe were looking in trouble but some gritty batting by Alistair Campbell and Andy Flower had taken them to a bit of safety and they were in great position to make a good score. At tea, they had reached 147-3, with Campbell on 50 and Flower on 37. All the three wickets were taken by Singh. Joshi has been disappointing again as he struggled once again. 

Zimbabwe is facing the follow on as they were dismissed for 382 in the morning. With a day and a half to go Zimbabwe will have to play really well to save this match. 

 Zimbabwe follows on, 44-1

Nagpur Nov 28: Srinath wrecked the Zimbabwe lower order and forced them to follow on. They were dismissed for 382 in their first innings, but not before Grant Flower completed a brilliant century and stayed unbeaten on 106. Srinath was the reason, Zimbabwe batted again as he ran through the Zimbabwe lower order taking three wickets. Joshi took one.

In their second innings, Zimbabwe had already lost Whittall. Rennie was playing on 23 with Carlisle. 

 Zimbabwe's fight frustrates India 

Zimbabwean batsmen showed extreme resistance and determination to save their team from follow-on as they ended the day on 359-6. They are still 49 runs behind to save the follow on. Grant Flower was the star batsman unbeaten on 91 along with his skipper Streak who was playing on 16. Flower who made 2 ducks in the first test match was in superb touch as he did not let any bowler settle down. He did not even spare Sarandeep Singh, who took two wickets in the morning as he hit him for two huge sixes and a couple of boundaries. Joshi was very disappointing as he could not find his rhythm the whole day. He struggled to pitch the ball into the right place and was hit for a couple of runs.

Indian pacers bowled well, especially Agarkar, who got the ball to reverse swing. He took two wickets and Zaheer Khan took one. The Indian fielding was also ordinary as they dropped some catches again and gave away easy runs. Skipper Ganguly must be a frustrated man as he would have expected to take all Zimbabwe wickets today.  

 Flower brothers lead Zimbabwe's resurgence 

Zimbabwe lost two quick wickets and were looking in big trouble but the Flower brothers fought back very well as they were already involved in a partnership of 94 runs. Zimbabwe was at 260/4 at this point. The two wickets that fell were of Whittall and the other one was of Campbell. Both were snapped up by the debutant Sarandeep Singh who bowled a very good line. He was very impressive in his approach and troubled the Zimbabwe batsmen thoroughly. 

The disappointing factor was Joshi, who could not get anything from the pitch and was listless at times. Andy Flower hit him for 14 runs in an over and this would worry the Indian skipper. The pitch has nothing for the fast bowlers. 

 Whittall takes Zimbabwe to 157-2 at Lunch 

Nagpur, November 27: Some good batting and some poor fielding by the Indians helped Zimbabwe reach 157-2 at lunch on the third day of the second test match between the two teams. Guy Whittall, who was promoted to the opening slot, was unbeaten on 80 and Campbell had just walked in, The wicket to fall was off Carlisle, who was caught and bowled by Agarkar for 51.

Whittall is lucky to be there as Tendulkar dropped him at first slips. Tendulkar was very late to get down to the ball and this might prove costly as Whittall is looking in very good touch. He has played very well and has looked very positive in his approach. His timing has been perfect and has not missed out on any opportunity.

 Sodhi gets the nod for the One dayers; Squad announced for the ODI series 

NAGPUR, NOVEMBER 27: In an attempt to induce youngsters into the International arena, the selectors have decided to drop Robin Singh and Vinod Kambli, while Punjab all-rounder Reetinder Singh Sodhi and Shiv Sunder Das got the nod for the first three one-dayers. Paceman Javagal Srinath was not considered because he opted out of the one-dayers, while leg-spinner Anil Kumble will miss the entire series because of the injury.

Board of Control for Cricket in India’s secretary J Y Lele and chairman of selectors Chandu Borde said, "the name of Robin Singh was discussed in the meeting but we want to try a few youngsters against Zimbabwe.'' Borde said, "I am a great admirer of Robin. He is a good cricketer but this would be a stepping-stone for the youngsters. We can always call him back for the remaining two one-dayers''.

Asked whether Das' inclusion would see reshuffling in the opening pair, Lele said Das would bat in the middle order only.

The squad for the first three one-dayers: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Hemang Badani, SS Das, S Sriram, Vijay Dahiya, Sunil Joshi, Nikhil Chopra, Zaheer Khan, Venkatesh Prasad, Ajit Agarkar and Reetinder Singh Sodhi.

 Tendulkar hits double Century

Nagpur, Nov. 26: Sachin Tendulkar hit 201 not out and Rahul Dravid made 162 as India declared their first innings on 609 for six against Zimbabwe. The pair put on 249 for the third wicket as the Indians piled up the runs before closing an hour before stumps on the second day in Nagpur.

Zimbabwe, needing to bat out three days to avoid a 2-0 series, defeat were 59 for one at close with Guy Whittall on 34 and Stuart Carlisle on four.

Tendulkar, who made 122 in New Delhi, followed up with his second double century in Test cricket. His 24th three-figure knock brought him level with Greg Chappell of Australia, with only Sunil Gavaskar (34), Don Bradman (29), Allan Border (27) and Garfield Sobers (26) left in front.

The 28-year-old also has a world record 26 one-day hundreds, giving him 50 international centuries during an outstanding 11-year career.

Das and Dravid shine as India reaches 306-2 

Nagpur, Nov 25: Shiv Sunder Das hit his maiden century in fine style but was unlucky to be given caught at slips at 110. The ball infact hit his pad but the umpire thought otherwise. Besides that it was a brilliant day for India as they reached 306-2 at the close. Dravid continued his brilliant run with the bat as he was unbeaten on 93 and giving him company was Tendulkar, who was 49 not out. Ramesh was the other casualty as he went for an unnecessary run and was out on 48. 

It was a hard day for Zimbabwe as all their bowlers struggled on this flat Nagpur pitch. But they have largely to blame themselves. The spinners, Murphy and Viljoen were less than ordinary as kept bowling short balls. Their was no thought process behind it and even the pacers disappointed. Olonga needs to a lot of thinking as he just can't pitch the ball at the right place. Their were too many loose balls and the batsmen took full advantage of it.

Das played a brilliant innings and hit a lot of boundaries. He played the short ball exceptionally well and was very quick on his feet ,when the spinners were bowling. India would have reached 350-380 easily had Dravid and Tendulkar not slowed down the run rate because of over cautiousness. But with such a score and eight wickets in hand, India would be looking to attack tomorrow morning.  

 Indian batsmen relish poor Zimbabwe attack 

Nagpur, Nov 25: India was in a brilliant position at 221-1 at tea with Das on 110 and Dravid on 59. It was a tremendous batting effort, which was a result of poor and listless bowling by the Zimbabweans. Scoring at almost 4 runs an over, the Indian team is sitting pretty at this stage and for Zimbabwe there is plenty to worry about.

None of the bowlers have looked like taking a wicket. The medium pacers have bowled short and wide. Especially Olonga, who has been poor to say the least. His bowling has no imagination, no thought process behind. The spinners Murphy and Vilojean have bowled like street kids, bowling full tosses, short balls. It has been a totally pathetic performance from them and with these two batsmen playing well and Tendulkar and Ganguly waiting in the wings, they will have to play out of the ordinary. 

 India gets off to a steady start, 91-1 

Nagpur, Nov 25: Skipper Ganguly won the toss and elected to bat and his openers did not disappoint him. They got India to a very good start and at lunch India was 91/1. They had lost Ramesh for 48 as he tried to steal a single but was out to a direct hit by Streak. But Ramesh played very well for his 48, which had 7boundaries. Das on the other hand, was on 35 and was playing very well. He played Murphy very well, using his feet very well. None of the Zimbabwean bowlers could get anything out of this flat pitch which is tailored made for batting.

 Zaheer back in the side as India takes on Zimbabwe

Nagpur, Nov 25: Indian team will go into the match with five bowlers, which means the return of Zaheer Khan. As the Indian skipper admitted ``it was a mistake to to have left him out.'' It also means Punjab off-spinner Sharandeep Singh will make his debut. All this means that Murali Kartik and Mohamed Kaif have been left out of the 12 and batsmen V.V.S. Laxman would be the third casualty.

John Wright expressed his concerns on the fielding of the side and said the team was making efforts to improve its fielding which was below par in the first Test. The pitch is as flat as it could be. Ganguly was irritated on that count once again after the Delhi experience when he said it wasn't what he had asked for.

Asked about the pitch here, Ganguly said: ``we had told the organizers what we wanted. But it hasn't worked out. Anyway, we are leaving it to them.'' Wright came to the skipper's rescue: ``If we play good cricket we will win. We will have to work a little harder, he added, referring to the `undoctored' pitch.

Zimbabwe would be hoping of all their men clicking, but they do have some injury problems. Leg-spinner Paul Strang had a recurrence of his hand problem and is ruled out and is flying back home for treatment. Left-arm spinner Dirk Viljoen will take his place. The tourists were also contemplating picking fast-medium Mlueki Nkala, who puts some shoulder into his bowling and could be useful on this flat track. He had a good game at Faridabad in the second innings. Travis Friend, their new fast bowling hope who had a good Sharjah tournament, was another option but he still has a niggling problem in his leg.

Teams
India: Saurav Ganguly (captain), S Ramesh, Rahul Dravid, Shiv Sunder Das, Sachin Tendulkar, V V S Laxman, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar, Vijay Dahiya (wicket-keeper), Sharandeep Singh, Sunil Joshi, Murali Kartik and Mohd Kaif.

Zimbabwe: Heath Streak (captain), Guy Whittall, Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Andy Flower (wicketkeeper), Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Trevor Madondo, Douglas Marillier, Brian Murphy, Mluleki Nkala, Henry Olonga, Gavin Rennie, Bryan Strang and Paul Strang.

 Yujraj makes way for Kaif for the Nagpur Test 

New Delhi, Nov 23: Young Punjab batsman Yuvraj Singh has been dropped from thee 14-member Indian team for the second Test against Zimbabwe in Nagpur from November 25 to 29. Uttar Pradesh batsman Mohanmmed Kaif comes in his place.

Selection committee chairman Chandu Bordee announced the team here on Wednesday, and  said Yuvraj had been to play Ranji Trophy matches. ``We want him in the team for the one-day series and it would be better if he is in form.''

 India wins the test by 7 wickets 

New Delhi, Nov 22: India cruised to a seven wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first test of the series. Chasing a modest target of 190 India won the match losing only three wickets in the process. Dravid once again was the top scorer making 70 in 91 balls and skipper Ganguly making 65 in 90 balls. 

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe was dismissed at the score of 225 . Srinath took 5 wickets and took 9 wickets in the match and was rightly chosen as the man of the match.  Karthik took two wickets and despite dropping 5 catches in that innings, they managed to get Zimbabwe out for a low score. They were also helped by some ordinary decisions, notably Andy Flower's. The batsman was outside the line but was given out by the umpire. However, it was a good performance from the Indians, particularly Dravid who batted brilliantly well. He was in superb form and was highly instrumental in India's win. India would go in the next test match with a lot of confidence and Zimbabwe will have to pull up their socks to make a match. 

 India on the verge of winning the test 

New Delhi, Nov 22: After dismissing Zimbabwe for  225 were on their way to winning this test match. At tea they were 84 for the loss of 3 wickets with only 106 more to gets. Ramesh, Das and Tendulkar were the wickets to fall. Zimbabwe who were 206-8 at lunch lost the last two wickets very quickly. Bryan Strang was caught by Tendulkar and Olonga was Srinath's fifth victim and took his tally to 9 wickets in the match. Rahul Dravid was on the crease with his skipper Ganguly and it is just a matter of time before they will wrap up the match.   

Zimbabwe fighting through, 206-8 

New Delhi, Nov 22: Zimbabwe's late order batsmen were still fighting to save the match as the score was on 200-8 at lunch. Starting the day at 119-5, they had lost Murphy, Flower, Streak. Murphy was the first one to go as he was removed by Srinath who took his fourth wicket of the innings. Flower who was looking in tremendous touch got out to a poor decision by Venkatraghwan as his pad was outside the off stump. However, the umpire had no hesitation in giving him out. Streak was out to Karthik as he did not try to play any shot and was out leg before. The Zimbabweans are 171runs ahead with two more sessions to go and an interesting battle is on. [ Scorecard ]

 Grant Flower’s action suspect

New Delhi, Nov 22: Zimbabwean spinner Grant Flower is under scrutiny as his bowling action is the latest one to be suspected and a videotape of it is being sent to ICC for examination. This happened due to match referee of Delhi Test Barry Jarman's observation that all of Grant's deliveries "were not legal.''

"After seeing Grant bowl yesterday, both umpires and myself were not entirely happy with the legality of all his deliveries," Jarman said in a statement here on Tuesday.

Srinath wrecks Zimbabwe's top order again 

New Delhi, Nov 21: Zimbabwe were in trouble again as they had lost 5 wickets for 119 runs and had got the lead of just 83 runs. The damage was done by Srinath who ripped apart the Zimbabwe top order again, removing Grant Flower for his consecutive duck and Rennie for a duck as well. Campbell was the third one to go edging one to forward short leg. He made just 8. Fourth wicket to fall was of Carlisle who was nicely caught by Ganguly off the bowling of Joshi. That brought Whittall on the crease who was playing very well with Andy Flower. But he was out to a lazy shot off the bowling of Karthik. 

Earlier in the day, India declared at 459-4 just 37 runs ahead of Zimbabwe. With a day to go Andy Flower will again have to bat very well if they were to save this match. [ Scorecard of Day4 ]

 Dravid hits an unbeaten 200 as India declares at 459 

New Delhi, Nov 21: Rahul Dravid made an unbeaten 200 to put India in a strong position against Zimbabwe. Skipper Sourav Ganguly declared after taking a lead of just 37 runs. In reply Zimbabwe had already lost two wickets for just 18 runs. Both openers Rennie and Grant Flower got out for ducks and both were snapped by Srinath.

Earlier in the day, Dravid who was unbeaten on 118 last evening started off positively with Tendulkar who also made a brilliant 118. Dravid hit his first double century in 350 balls as made most of his catch that was dropped when he was in his twenty's. Murphy and Olonga were the wicket takers today. Ganguly made a quick 27 before he snicked one to Andy Flower. 

No Zimbabwe bowler could stop the rampage Tendulkar and Dravid had started. Both found boundaries at regular intervals and also rotated the strike very well. With 5 sessions remaining Zimbabwe will have to bat positively to stay in the game.

 India reaches 100-1 at Lunch 

New Delhi, Nov 20: Some very good batting from Dravid and Das got India to steady start inspite of losing Ramesh for just 13 runs. Chasing a total of 422 Indian top order has played some positive cricket especially, Dravid who has been aggressive from the word go.  Das has been a perfect foil to him as he has played patiently. Both batsmen are in their forties and are looking all set for a bog score.  None of the Zimbabwean spinners could make much of an impact on this slow Ferozshah Kotla pitch which is very good for batting. Strang and Murphy are the spinners in the team but neither of the Indian batsmen were looking in any sort of trouble against them. Streak was the only wicket taker as he trapped Ramesh plumb in front of the wickets. 

Indian team needs both these batsmen to go and make big scores and put the pressure back to Zimbabwe bowlers.  

 Zimbabwe declare at 422-9 

New Delhi, Nov 19:   Andy Flower batted brilliantly for his 8^th test century as Zimbabwe reached 422 for the loss of 9 wickets. Beginning at the overnight score of 232-5, Zimbabwe lost 4 more wickets this morning. The last batsman to be dismissed was Brain Strang. Andy Flower along with Henry Olonga added 96 for the last wicket. Flower was not out at 183. 

As for the Indians, Srinath added one more wicket to his tally. Agarkar and Joshi chipped in with 1 wicket each. 

 Zimbabwe and India share the honors on day 1, Zim 232-5. 

New Delhi, Nov 18: India and Zimbabwe would be reasonably happy at the end of the first day play of their first test match as Zimbabwe finished at 232-5. Both Andy Flower and Heath Streak were on the crease involved in a good partnership and are the last of the recognized batsmen in the Zimbabwe line up. Srinath took three wickets and Tendulkar and Joshi took one each. Zimbabwe could have been in a more difficult situation if they had grabbed their chances and also some strange decisions resulted in the opportunity being lost. The Indian fielders dropped a few catches. Also Ganguly put Tendulkar to bowl when a specialist bowler was needed. That let Zimbabwe off the hook and set a base for a good partnership between Carlisle and Campbell. Zaheer Khan's absence is also questionable as is the way Karthik was bowled. He was given short spells and was used sparingly. 

India would be looking to take the rest of five wickets as soon as possible as this is a great batting pitch and if India gets them out before 300 then they have a great chance to win the match.  

 Zimbabwe in a bit of strife at 155-5 

New Delhi, Nov 18: Zimbabwe had lost both Carlisle and Campbell just when they were looking to get going and make a big score. Zimbabwe was at 154-4 with both relatively new batsmen in. Andy Flower was giving his skipper Heath Streak company on a pitch which doesn't have much for the bowlers. Srinath has picked up three wickets and Tendulkar and Joshi had taken 1 each.

Campbell, who was looking for his first test century was caught out by Laxman at second slip off the bowling of Srinath. His innings was a good one and he along with Carlisle who was dismissed on 58 were the main reasons for Zimbabwe reaching this total. The Indian bowling has been good so far and though Agarkar did not get a wicket but he bowled exceptionally well. He got the reverse swing going and beat the batsmen in many occasions. Karthik also bowled well. The fielding has been on the lazy side with all the players giving the batsmen easy singles.  

 Zimbabwe reaches 62-2 at lunch 

New Delhi, Nov 18: Zimbabwe reached a total of 62 after losing two early wickets, both taken by Srinath. They could have been in further trouble, had Indian not dropped two easy catches. Campbell and Carlisle, the two experienced batsmen were on the crease when the bails were taken off for lunch. They were at 13 and 31 respectively. 

Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch which did not have much for the bowlers. The biggest surprise move came from India when they decided to drop Zaheer Khan from the final XI in favor of an extra batsmen. That has proved crucial as one saw Ganguly bowling from one end and getting clobbered and Tendulkar bowling as a main line spinner. It is a strange tactic by India to play with four bowlers and only time will tell how wise that decision was. Zimbabwe lost Grant Flower when he left an incoming delivery from Srinath and found himself clean bowled. The second wicket to fall was of Rennie who was caught by Dhaiya off the bowling of Srinath again. 

After those early dismissals, both Campbell and Carlisle have played sensibly and have made runs at every given occasion. It is an easy batting pitch and Zimababwe should be looking at a score in excess of 400.   

 Kumble out of Zimbabwe series 

November 18, 2000: India's ace leg-spinner Anil Kumble is out of the entire Zimbabwe series after the bowler failed to submit his fitness report on Friday November 17. "Kumble is still recovering from the shoulder pain and will not be ready for the one-day series either," captain Saurav Ganguly said. "We don't want to rush him. Let him get better," Ganguly told reporters after the Indian team had a workout at the National Stadium in New Delhi.

Ganguly said with the tour against Pakistan already called off, there was no need for Kumble to rush with his recovery. "Anyway we are not going to Pakistan so he can take time and get ready to join the team for home series against Australia in February-March next year."

The leg-spinner consulted South African orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Fergusson recently in Chennai at a seminar. Though no details of what Fergusson suggested Kumble were available, indications are that the surgeon has asked the bowler to take corrective measures and proper rest before joining the team again.

 Streak looking for a successful tour

New Delhi, Nov 17:  The Zimbabweans are a confident bunch especially after beating the Board President XI at Faridabad but their skipper Heath Streak realises that the first Test, starting here on Saturday is going to be a different ball game. "The Test match is very different from the warm-up games, but the win put us in a happy frame of mind," said Streak sounding optimistic about his team's chances.

Streak realises the limitation of his team. "We are professionals and we know that a particular session in a Test can change the complexion of the game and even the outcome. We just have to bowl to a plan and that's it."

The visiting captain said that the Indian bowling would be affected by the absence of star spinner Anil Kumble. "Kumble's absence is going to hurt them and moreover Javagal Srinath is not at his best. That should give our batsmen a fair chance to put up a good show on what looks to be batsman-friendly pitch." Streak feels the wicket will help spinners as the match progresses. "The spinners always play a crucial role in India."

Streak knows that his team has not be consistent in Test matches. "We have high expectations from our spinners Paul Strang and Brian Murphy, besides medium-fast bowlers Henry Olonga, Travis Friend. Of course, I am hoping to do well myself.'' He has high expectations from Campbell and hope that he would keep his superb form going and hopes to get major contributions Guy Whittal, not to forget the Flower brothers, Andy and Grant.

Streak main problem is that he has quite a few inexperienced players in the squad. "I just want my team-mates to play to their potential and I hope newcomer Douglas Marillier will rise to the occasion.''

 Kotla pitch okayed for India-Zimbabwe Test 

November 16, 2000: Cricket board's pitch committee today gave the green signal to the Ferozeshah Kotla ground which will host the first of the two-Test series between India and Zimbabwe from November 18 to 22. BCCI chief curator and pitch committee chairman G Kasturirangan said that the two-man committee surveyed the pitch conditions over two days before giving the go ahead.

"The pitch is in superb condition. Other facilities are also fine," Kasturirangan said.  "We don't want to give any opinion on the kind of wicket. We have left it to the local association," he said. The Kotla ground will be hosting a Test match after a gap of 21 months.

India won the last match played on the ground, against Pakistan when leg-spinner Anil Kumble made history by taking 10 wickets in the second innings. Kumble, however, will be missing the action this time following a nagging shoulder pain that has forced him to sit out.

 Indian team announced, Prasad and Karim out

New Delhi, Nov 14: The Indian selectors announced the final 14 for the first test against Zimbabwe and there were no surprises. Punjab off-spinner Sarandeep Singh and Delhi wicket-keeper Vijay Dahiya were drafted into the Indian Test and Venkatesh Prasad and Saba Karim were the causalities. The national selectors, who met for nearly an hour and a half at the Nahar Singh Stadium here when watching the Board President's XI take on the Zimbabweans, decided to drop seamer Venkatesh Prasad and Syed Saba Karim, who did not have a great time behind the stumps on Test debut in Dhaka.

Chairman of Selectors Chandu Borde had already discussed the composition of the side with the Indian skipper Sourav ganguly when the latter was in Dhaka. Ganguly had asked for an off spinner since the Zimbabwe team has quite a bit if left-handers. Mr Borde also said the other Punjab off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had also been considered but it was clear that the selectors had been impressed by Sarandeep Singh's showing in the Irani Cup for Rest of India against Mumbai. Sarandeep Singh played second fiddle to Murali Kartik in that game but bowled well within himself to make a mark.

Dhaiya was selected after Karim had a dismal showing against the Bangladeshi’s where he failed to even the ball cleanly.

The team: Sourav Ganguly (captain), S Ramesh, Shiv Sundar Das, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vijay Dahiya (wicket-keeper), Sunil Joshi, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Sarandeep Singh, VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh. Coach: John Wright.

 Kumble out of the Test series 
 
Faridabad, Nov 13  - India's strike bowler Anil Kumble would miss the two test matches of the series against Zimbabwe due to the shoulder injury which kept him out of the Sharjah tournament. The leg-spinner has failed to produce a fitness certificate, Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jayawant Lele said. "The selectors will not consider anyone whose fitness is in doubt," Lele said. Kumble, who complained of shoulder pain soon after the International Cricket Council knock-out tournament in Kenya last month, was forced to miss four matches in the Sharjah tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. He was also dropped from the inaugural Test match against Bangladesh in Dhaka, which India won by nine wickets earlier Monday.

Kumble's fitness will be determined after his check-up with noted South African orthopaedic surgeon Mark Fergusson, who is visiting Madras later this month for a medical conference.Fergusson had earlier treated two Indian cricketers; fast bowler Javagal Srinath for a rotator cuff injury and batsman Ajay Jadeja for a recurring knee problem.

The news of Kumble's unavailability came as the Zimbabweans began a three-match against the Indian Board president's team here on Monday.The tourists spent a long day in the field as the president's team piled up 313-5 from 90 overs after electing to take first strike at the Nahar Singh stadium.Left-hander Hrishikesh Kanitkar played a captain's knock of 118 not out, sharing a 108-run stand for the fourth wicket with Virender Sehwag. Sehwag blasted a hurricane 60 off 78 balls, including nine boundaries and two sixes. Wicket-keeper Vijay Dahiya, omitted for the Bangladesh Test, bounced back into contention with a pleasing half-century. Seasoned leg-spinner Paul Strang was the only Zimbabwe bowler to make an impression on the placid wicket, grabbing three for 59 from 20 overs. But spin twin Brian Murphy, expected to play in the Tests, was hammered for 74 runs in 16 overs.

It is the final warm-up match for the tourists before the first of two back-to-back Tests starts in New Delhi next Saturday. The second Test will be played in Nagpur from November 25, followed by a series of five one-day internationals. Zimbabwe's only previous Test on Indian soil, also in New Delhi in 1993, ended in an innings victory for the home team.

Zimbabwe vary of slow Indian pitches 

Indore, November 11: Zimbabwe skipper Heath Streak expressed his apprehensions about the slowness of the Indian pitches and said that it will be a major challenge for his team on their five-week tour of India. Zimbabwe, who drew their three-day opening game against India's National Cricket Academy XI on Friday, are due to play two tests and five one-day internationals. 

"This tour is very challenging," Streak told reporters in the central Indian city of Indore. "India's batting line-up is very strong. We are worried about spinner-friendly Indian wickets." "We have played him. He is international class. We will focus a lot on him," Streak said.

Streak also said that his team will not take Zaheer Khan as he is very good prospect for India.Though the absence of Neil Johnson and Murray Goodwin will be felt but he pinned his hopes on batsmen Trevor Madondo and Douglas Marillier and said Zimbabwe has caused many upsets since making its test debut in the early 1990s. "We would like to do that this time also," he said.

 Campbell starts the tour with a century 

Indore, Nov 9: Zimbabwe star batsman Alistair Campbell started off with an attractive century against the National Cricket Academy. Zimbabwe declared their innings at 322 for 6 on the opening day of their first match on the tour of India. NCA had reached 28 for 1 by close. The other high scoring batsman was Carlisle who made 61. The pick of the bowlers was Rashid Patel who took 3 wickets for 70 runs. Zimbabwe opener Marillier was also amongst runs as he made an impressive 30 runs.

 Ganguly retained as the captain for Zimbabwe series  

Indore  Nov 8 , 2000: BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele announced at a press conference that the selectors have retained Ganguly as the skipper of the Indian team till the end of the Zimbabwe series. The selection committee, present here for the Zimbabwe tour opener against the National Cricket Academy (N C A), had a meeting to discuss a range of issues, one of which was the retention of Ganguly as captain for the two Tests and three One-dayers against the visitors. The other issues discussed in the meeting were not made public.Ganguly would stay as the captain  would be till the end of the series since there might be a lull in India’s international calendar if the tour to Pakistan does not materialise. In that case, Lele told the press, it would not be wise to rush into a long-term decision at the moment.

 Zimbabweans arrive without Streak and their baggage 

Mumbai, Nov 7: The Zimbabwe cricket team arrived in Mumbai three hours late and that also without their baggage and skipper Heath Streak for their 40-day tour of India commencing on November 8.

Speaking to reporters after the team's arrival, the team manager Babu Meman, said the baggage was held up at the London airport due to some technical problem while skipper Streak stayed back for a couple of days more as he had to get his tooth extracted. "However, Streak is expected to join the team on November 9 at Indore which means that he will miss the first three-day warm-up match against the National Cricket Academy (NCA) XI starting at Indore on November 8," he added. "Another member of the 15-player squad, Brian Murphy, too will be joining the team later as was busy writing his university examinations in Harare, while our baggage will reach Indore directly tomorrow," Meman said.

"We are expecting a tough series ahead of us as we know from our past experience that the Indians are hard to beat on their own soil. It will be a very good exposure for the youngsters in our side and they are all looking forward to it," Meman said.

When queried about the match-fixing scandal, which has rocked the cricketing world, Meman said, the scandal would not effect them in any way and they were here to play some good cricket.

The visitors would be playing two warm-up games at Indore and Faridabad against Board President's XI from November 13 to 15 and two Test matches against the hosts at Delhi (November 18-22) and Nagpur (November 25-29).

They also play five one-dayers at Cuttack (December 2), Ahmedabad (December 5), Jodhpur (December 8), Kanpur (December 11) and at Rajkot (December 14) before leaving for home on December 15.

Team: Heath Streak (capt), Guy Whittall (vice-capt), Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Andy Flower (wicketkeeper), Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Trevor Mandondo, Douglas Marillier, Brian Mruphy, Mluleki Nkala, Henry Olonga, Gavin Rennie, Bryan Strang and Paul Strang. 

 Zimbabwe high in confidence 

Harare, Nov 4: Zimbabwe cricket team is full of confidence as they prepare to travel to India on Saturday for two Tests and a series of five one-day internationals. Zimbabwe are still deriving psychological benefit from the victory they had achieved here against India in a one-off Test two years ago, especially as Zimbabwe's bowlers had quickly disposed of Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Azharuddin in both of India's innings.

Zimbabwean captain Heath Streak has exuded confidence even though the condition and the atmosphere would be totally different from their own. He has high hopes of his side doing especially well in the one-day matches. Zimbabwe have recently beaten New Zealand twice and have a long record of causing upsets in this form of the game. "But the Test matches will be a different story" he said. "We will need our established senior batsmen to perform because there's a lot of inexperience in our squad.''

Streak said: "We may not be all that highly rated but we have a strong and well balanced side with the potential to upset anybody. If the senior players give us backbone, we can emerge with heads high." All the touring party reported fit on Friday, including the injury-prone seamer Henry Olonga, which is particularly pleasing for Streak. Olonga can be erratic, but he has a reputation as a shock wicket-taker.

The Zimbabwe squad: Heath Streak (capt), Guy Whittall (vice-capt), Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Andrew Flower, Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Trevor Madondo, Douglas Marillier, Brian Murphy, Mluleki Nkala, Henry Olonga, Gavin Rennir, Bryan Strang, Paul Strang. Manager: Babu Meman.

One-day schedule: 
The Indian cricket board secretary Jaywant Lele announced dates of five one-dayers between the visiting Zimbabwe cricket team and India. The first one-dayer would be played at Cuttack on December 2, second at Ahmedabad on December 5, third at Jodhpur on December 8, fourth at Kanpur on December 11 and fifth and final one-dayer would be played on December 14 at Rajkot.