| yehhaicricket.com |
|
|
India Vs Zimbabwe | |
| | Home | News | Schedule | Squads | Score Cards | Picture Gallery | Match Report | Articles | |
 |
|
|
Eyes
Open, Words close! When
honours are evenly divided, analysis becomes a painstaking job. Too many
good performances leave little to say. When great things happen, words
fail. Andy
Flower’s brilliant run against India is indescribable. To comment on his
temperament and his application would be doing injustice to his
capabilities. Only eyes could believe what he executed-not only did he
carry out his captain’s order, he did it in style. It would be safe to
say that such exhilarating batting can only be possible by a combination
of two factors-a flat pitch and a human who is a genius. Though not in the
class of Sachin Tendulkar, Andy flower has done enough over the years to
be typified in the class of greats. Zimbabwe
had shown a great tenacity of character and it should do well to their
confidence in particular and their cricket in general. Their batting line
up is strong. Their fielding is good. What they lack are quality bowlers
who can rip apart the opposition. The
time is not far when they will begin to perform collectively and produce
results, Heath Streak would be proud of. There
were some flashes for India too. But one swallow never makes a summer.
Shiv Sunder Das looks promising. He is aggressive in his mind and is
always on the outlook for runs. Like Tendulkar, he is short. Short
players, are generally quick on their feet and play the horizontal bat
shot well. If he can keep his head and take a cue from Kambli’s failure
to make a name for him self in the international arena inspite of having
talent, he will go a long way. Sarandeep
Singh was a revelation. India needs enthusiastic, young players like him
who can chip in with a few wickets when the captain demands it. With
Kumble, Joshi and Sarandeep India can look forward to a deadly spin
combination, a combination that is not only effective on the home soil but
also abroad. Finally,
a word on the pitch. It was no doubt a great one-producing around 1,500
runs in five days. But on a flat pitch like this it becomes difficult to
obtain results. More sporting pitches can make matches more interesting. From India's point of view, it would be a big disappointment as they had almost two days to get Zimbabwe out but failed to come even close to it. Zimbabwe started the day at 238-3 and lost two quick wickets; both important ones of Campbell and Grant Flower. India had a great chance of making further inroads into the Zimbabwe late order but they let them off the hook by some ordinary bowling. Sharandeep Singh was good in patches but looked uncomfortable every time Flower swept him. Joshi started off this test match badly and ended at the same note. It is difficult to understand the thinking that goes behind his bowling since the implementation is awful. Though it was a batting pitch but the least the bowlers could have done was to pitch the ball at the right spot. Joshi bowled three balls on the off-stump and the next three at the leg stump. Flower and Viljoen played beautifully and were involved in a very handy partnership. When Viljoen got out, India got a sniff of a victory but the effort was not really there. The shoulders had already dropped and it seemed that the Indian team had surrendered to the fact that the match was going to be a draw. With the one day series coming up, the Indian team would not take long to forget about this match and that's the last thing they should do. India
vs Zimbabwe,
November 25 - 29, 2000 Indian started the day brilliantly, when Srinath wrapped up the lower order and got the Zimbabwean team out for 282, 27 short of the follow on. Grant Flower completed his sixth century in test cricket, which came after a gap of two years. It was also special as he has been in awful form and had two ducks in the previous test match. His innings were truly magnificent and what was remarkable was the way he paced them. Even though, wickets were falling in front of him but that did not effect his game and he was instrumental in getting his team to this total. Zimbabwe was asked to bat again and Sharandeep Singh got India the first breakthrough, when he removed Whittall. He was again in action, when Carlisle tried to hit him over mid-on but ended up giving a catch to Tendulkar. He took the third wicket to fall as well as he got Rennie out. What is heartening to see about this young bowler is that he is not afraid to toss the ball up and he enjoys bowling. India has always been short of a quality off-spinner and may be he might solve the problem. On 61-3, Zimbabwe were looking in trouble and all their hopes rested on Andy Flower. He has been in stupendous form and he always enjoy playing against India. He has a tremendous record against India and has played very well on this tour as well. He did not disappoint them this time as well and along with Campbell has resurrected the innings. They not only cleared the deficit but have helped Zimbabwe take an 11 run lead as well. Both of them have played extremely well and with only a day left in the match, they would look to make a big score. Flower is on 88 and Campbell is on 83. Indian bowling was disappointing again as their spinners have not been able to extract advantage on this pitch, which does not have much for the fast bowlers. Less said the better about Joshi. Even Sharandeep Singh, who started off very well struggled to contain the batsmen. But he is a good find for India and this should be a good experience for him. Ganguly's captaincy is a bit inconsistent as at times he makes very intelligent moves but at times his thinking leaves a lot to be desired. He is a bit impatient and sometimes waits for things to happen, rather than making them happen himself. However, there is still some hope for India with just a day to go. They will have to bowl really well and get Zimbabwe out as soon as possible if they want to win the match. Spinners disappoint as
Flower flourishes -
Day 3 of second test Starting the day at 59-1, Whittall and Carlisle played some good cricket as they negotiated all the bowlers well. Carlisle, who made a good 51 got out to Agarkar and that was a bog blow to Zimbabwe. Campbell looked out of sorts during his short stay at the stumps and was caught by Ramesh at silly point. That gave Saran deep Singh his first wicket. Singh bowled very well in the morning session as he got the ball to turn and bounce. He also removed Whittall, who was looking dangerous. Whittall made 84. Both Flowers played very well and were involved in a 96 run partnership, but a concentration lapse resulted in his down fall as he tried to cut a widish delivery from Agarkar but gave a catch to Dahiya. After that, Grant Flower and Vilojean were involved in a very good partnership. They ran very well between the wickets and did not miss any loose balls. Khan broke this partnership as Vilojean was brilliantly caught by Dahiya. Streak, who is no mug with the bat was playing well and was looking good. He was on 16. With two more days to go and 4 wickets in hand, Zimbabwe's first task would be to reach 409 and then look towards decreasing the lead. On the other hand, it was a mixed day for the Indian bowlers. Agarkar and Khan bowled very well but Joshi was extremely disappointing. His body language was disheartening and his effort left a lot to be desired. On a pitch, that has something for the spin bowlers, he looked ordinary and listless. Saran deep Singh, who took those two crucial wickets in the morning was taken for some runs later on as both Flower brothers took the attack to him and broke his rhythm. It must be a great learning experience for the youngster as he looked good. Skipper Ganguly must be a frustrated man as his bowlers did not complete their task. However, they should still be positive about their chances in the match and look to take the remaining 4 wickets as soon as possible. India
vs Zimbabwe,
November 25 - 29, 2000 India started the day with Dravid
and Tendulkar looking dangerous and without any surprises they started off
in an aggressive manner. Rahul Dravid was aggressive and continued his
superb form and reached 162 without stuttering. But he got out very tamely
as he tried to hit a bouncer that was well down the leg side from Heath
Streak and gloved the ball through to the wicketkeeper. Nevertheless, he
played a brilliant innings and spent almost six and a half hours at the
wicket. In that duration he struck the ball to the fence twenty times and
once sent it sailing over the long on fence. Sourav Ganguly came to the crease
with India in a great position at 477/3 and he had no reason to hurry up
the matter but he seemed to be impatient. In a two paced innings where he
was either blocking the ball or going for huge hits, Ganguly made 30
before he was caught by Streak at mid-off of the Grant Flower’s bowling. On the other hand, Tendulkar was
playing a gem. He was merciless towards all the Zimbabwean bowlers,
especially against Olonga, who he gave special treatment. He made his
double century in fine style and was classy and brutal as well in his
approach. The Zimbabwean spinners were
ordinary to say the least and their technique was defensive.
Throwing the ball up well outside the leg stump, they ruined
whatever little chance they had of picking wickets. If the aim was to hit
the rough created by the bowlers' footmarks and curtail the flow of runs,
they did not achieve that. On an easy paced track, they should have stuck
to a good line and length, instead of resorting to negative tactics. It
was a poor day of bowling from them and the Indians took full advantage of
that. India was 535/5 and still very
comfortable placed. Agarkar was sent ahead of Dahiya to accelerate the
scoring but he was unable to do so and got out making only 12 runs. This
brought another all-rounder to the crease - Sunil Joshi. Fortunately for
the Indian team, he fared much better than his Mumbai counterpart. Playing
well within his limitations, Joshi put the ball away every time it was in
the slot. From the flick to square leg to the cut to third man, Joshi was
extremely effective. Best of all in his innings of 27 was the straight hit
that almost cleared the ropes. After Tendulkar reached his double
century, the Indian team declared their innings. The score was 609/6 at
that point. The little maestro made 201, which included 27 fours, but not
once did he attempt to hit the ball all the way over the ropes. Zimbabwe’s innings also started
off in a positive way but Rennie got out taking a needless run. He made
19. Whittall was promoted up the order and he justified that by playing
some excellent shots and looking very positive. His footwork was precise
and his body language was very confident. They ended the day at 59-1. India
vs Zimbabwe,
November 25 - 29, 2000 “Don’t give advice to a batsman
going in: if he is inexperienced, it will only make him nervous, if he is
an old hand, its generally unnecessary.” The Indian coach and the captain
probably remembered this apt saying before the team began their essay. On
a well prepared wicket that had hardly anything to offer to the bowlers,
the openers began on a positive note and put on a 72 run partnership
before Ramesh’s promising innings was cut short by a stunning piece of
fielding. Shiv Sunder Das, who impressed
everyone with his fine knock in the last match, went on to score his first
test hundred. A quality find, Das played the spinners and the fast bowlers
with equal authority. He converted the good balls into singles and twos
while dispatching the bad ones for boundaries. With Dravid at the other
end to boost his confidence, he drove, cut, flicked and used his legs
quite often. The presence of Dravid must have had a sobering effect on
this young cricketer. Mr. Dependable’s experience must have cut off any
extra flow of adrenaline in Das. It is only too well known how
over-ambition can lead a batsman into committing “ Hara-kiri”. Technically quite sound, Das looks
solid and comfortable in the opening slot. He seems aggressive and unlike
Ramesh, is strong on the backfoot, which is a good attribute for any
opener. More than anything else, this quality of his should enable him to
play on any pitch, the world over. A bright future prospect, indeed. Zimbabwe, psychologically down
after their defeat in the first test looked a tame side-their body
language, their enthusiasm, their effort-all left much to be desired.
Their line of bowling was the off-stump and no fielder was placed at the
third man for quite some time. A lot of boundaries, no doubt were scored
in that region. To make things worse, they played with only one slip when
the spinner was on. With no close in fielders, the Indians took singles at
ease. On the first day of a test match, this strategy is unacceptable; it
is a pointer to their negative attitude. Out of the two wickets that fell
today, one was a run-out and the second was a consequence of a dubious
umpiring decision. India instead of taking advantage
of Zimbabwe’s low morale, slowed down in the last hour of play. Sachin
Tendulkar suppressed his natural instincts to play a patient knock so did
Rahul Dravid. Poor thinking. India
vs Zimbabwe, (Match Analysis) It’s
Time For Introspection “All’s
well that ends well” goes the saying. But just because Ganguly had the
last laugh, one should not sit on it and forget the errors India made. The
victory has come on Indian soil and against a team that is not highly
rated. This of course does not mean that one should take away the credit
from the Indians. Yet, one would be hard pressed to recollect India losing too many Tests on the home ground. Tigers at home, Lambs abroad, is the adage often associated with the Indian cricketers. Now that the tension is over, the think tank of Indian cricket needs to introspect on the match that was. Ganguly should take a cue from Azharuddin’s book – the most successful captain of India who was never called a good skipper. A proper attitude towards the fellow players and the game needs to be cultivated by any skipper. Losing your head when the going gets tough is not at all a healthy sign. If nothing else, it sends out a wrong message to the world, it goes against the spirit of the game. Whether one wishes to be a “Win at all costs” captain, is entirely a personal question. But one should not forget that no individual is greater than the game of cricket. For the second time in about two weeks, the toothless Indian bowling was exposed. Srinath, no doubt was brilliant and India owes the victory to him. Yet, the absence of another good fast bowler and a quality spinner was felt. On a tailor-made wicket for spin, more was expected from the Joshis and the Kartiks. Zimbabwe’s bowling also left much to be desired. Olonga, who had taken three Indian wickets in the last over during the world cup – a match that cost India a semi-final berth, failed to penetrate the strong batting lineup. Dravid played magnificently in both the innings and so did Tendulkar. It is such a joy to watch “the little master” play. When he came into bat, the whole crowd broke into a fever of expectation. And he did not disappoint. Even though he did not last long in the second innings, his little cameo knock was enough to have the spectators at their feet. The polished innings of Rahul Dravid was a perfect foil to Tendulkar’s. For Zimbabwe, Andy Flower is indispensable, especially so against India. He seems to perform better in India than anywhere else and that is perhaps because he is a very good player of spin. Had he played for Australia or for that matter South Africa, he would not have been so under-rated. Probably, he would have been called one of the best batsmen in the World. With the second test commencing from less than a week’s time, both teams have little time to re-plan their strategies. What they can always do is recharge their worn out batteries and get the adrenaline flowing. Like a wounded tiger, Zimbabwe can bounce back more dangerously and surprise everybody with their collective efforts and spirits. It is indeed a testing time for their team spirit, which their coach recently boasted of. India
vs Zimbabwe, Day 5 of 1st Test India
registers a comfortable win over Zimbabwe Indian team won their second test match in the last 10 days beating Zimbabwe by 10 wickets. It was a comfortable win for India who looked very sloppy on the field dropping five catches in the second innings. Sourav Ganguly dropped two out of those. Fortunately, it did not cost India much as they managed to dismiss Zimbabwe for 225 runs. That gave the Zimbabweans a lead of just 190 runs with three sessions remaining. Zimbabwe started the day at 109-5 with Flower batting with Murphy. Murphy, who had come in as a night watchman did not stay for too long as he edged one off the bowling off Srinath. Streak and Flower were playing well, before Andy was given leg before, even though his foot was outside the line of off stumps. That was a big blow for India as they removed Streak quickly after that. He was out leg before as well. Though the tail-enders showed some resistance, yet they could not make much of a contribution and were bundled out for just 225. Srinath was the wrecker as he took 5 wickets adding to his tally of 4 in the first innings. Flower to scored once again with 70. Indian innings started off at a shaky note as they lost both openers in quick succession. First to go was Ramesh who nicked one to second slips where Strang took a good catch off the bowling off Streak. It was a disappointing test for Ramesh , who failed in both innings. Das did not stay on for too long as he was run out to a direct hit. But Dravid and Tendulkar continued their superb form making some quick runs. Tendulkar was dismissed for 39 which he made in 39 balls. Dravid was going on strong and Ganguly was not far behind as he hit the spinners all over the park. Dravid made 70 and Ganguly made 65 and got India through to this test win. Zimbabwe's bowling in the second innings was as disappointing as in the first innings. Strang is totally out of sorts and needs a lot of introspection before going into the next match. His line and length are totally non-existent and he has looked ordinary. Murphy is new to test cricket and will take a long time before he would pose any challenge to the batsmen. Olonga is wayward and it appears that he doesn't think about his bowling. He is quick but he is either too short or too full and batsmen at this level relish on such bowling. The
next match is in Nagpur where the pitch might have something for the
bowlers as well. It remains to be seen how the teams will approach that
match but for the time being, India are the worthy winners and they
would definitely have a psychological edge over the
Zimbabweans. India
vs Zimbabwe, Day 4 of 1st Test Heath Streak had no one he could rely on, as Olonga
was expensive and wayward and never at any point of time looked
threatening. Paul Strang has struggled throughout this test match and
doesn’t know where to pitch the ball. The pitch has provided no
assistance to the bowlers and it has been a hard one to bowl on. Streak
and Murphy were the only bowlers who looked in control. India’s first task was to clear the 150 run deficit
and they did that in a quick time but not before Tendulkar was out to a
lazy shot as he tried to hit the ball upishly which was well out side the
off stump. That gave Murphy his first wicket and one, he would cherish for
a long time. Sachin made 122. That brought Ganguly to the crease who
opened his account with a classy cover drive. His intentions were clear
and were aggressive but his stay on the stumps was short lived as he
nicked one to Andy Flower and fell for 27. Indian team declared after
taking a lead of just 37 runs. The decision must have surprised a lot of people but
it paid off for the Indian captain as Zimbabwe lost both his openers for a
duck. It was a pair for Grant Flower and would give him a lot to think
about. Alistair Campbell also did not stay for too long as he gave a
simple catch to Dravid at forward short leg. Srinath who was in
devastating form took all the three wickets. His line was superb and he
was bowling at a very good pace on this flat Ferozshah pitch. Andy Flower
came in after this collapse ands was confident from the start. It felt
that he started off where he had left from. He was playing with Whittall.
Karthik, who has been grossly under bowled, took his first wicket of the
innings when he removed Whittall. The ball was short and well outside the
off stump and one, which did not deserve any wicket. But it did and
brought the night watchman Murphy on the crease. Zimbabwe ended the day at
119-5 just 82 runs ahead of India. They would be looking at Andy Flower to
save this match for them but one can say that Indians have a strong chance
of taking it away from them. India
vs Zimbabwe, Day 3 of 1st Test It
was a good day for the Indian team as they started off with 9-0 and ended
with 275-2 . Both openers,
Ramesh and Das were looking to make big scores. That was not to be, as
Ramesh departed for 13 in 54 balls. If one has looked at his batting
closely they would know that his footwork is poor. He has a very lazy
approach towards his game and has a very half here, half there approach
which was the biggest reason for his failure in Australia. One can get
away with that kind of footwork here on the flat pitches in India where
the ball doesn’t do much and comes to the bat easily. But even here one
has to apply himself in order to get runs. Ramesh was trapped plumb in
front of the stumps by Streak as he was trying to play on the leg-side and
that brought Dravid to the crease. He was aggressive from the beginning
and along with Das took India on a safety path. Both reached their half
centuries. Dravid only took 68 balls to get there. Das departed soon when
the score was 134-2 after making a well-made 58. He was given leg before
to Olonga. Das’s
departure would not have disappointed the crowd much, as that brought the
little maestro to the crease. Dravid who was playing well went into his
shell and thereafter took a long time to get going. On the other hand,
Tendulkar was also struggling for his timing as he was trying to hit the
ball very hard. But one over from Olonga changed everything where
Tendulkar hit him for three boundaries. That set the momentum for the
things to come. Dravid also got his placement back and reached a well made
100 in 216 balls. His timing was exquisite and shot selection was
flawless. Paul
Strang and Murphy, the two spinners in the Zimbabwe were no threat to
these class batsmen. Strang has been very disappointing, as he has not
found his line and length. His team would be relying on him to deliver the
goods and the sooner he finds his rhythm, the better it is for his team.
Olonga was good in patches but very wayward otherwise. He could not bowl
one over without giving at least one loose ball. It is anyway a big
struggle to get any purchase from this wicket. It is absolutely flat and
brilliant for batting and the only way batsman can get out is if he makes
a mistake. Tendulkar
and Dravid were involved in a brilliant partnership of 141 runs and were
still going strong. It is important for India that these two stay on the
stumps and make big scores. With only two days left and India 150 runs
behind, the two batsmen need to push the accelerator and give India a lead
of at least 150 runs by tea time and make Zimbabwe bat again. That way,
they will give themselves a big chance to win this match.
India Vs Zimbabwe, Day 2 of 1st test It
is often said that Indians learn things the hard way. If today’s batting
display by the lower order Zimbabwean batsman – the grit, the
determination, the extra effort, the commitment – was not a lesson,
nothing will ever be. A team that was in dire straits at 155 for 5,
declared their innings at 422 for 9. The eyes have it. By
going well past 350, Zimbabwe now has a definite psychological advantage
over India. And this frustration was evident during the match itself.
Ganguly looked annoyed, shouted at his own players and kicked the grass.
By the end of the day, he has only himself to blame. He set up too
defensive a field against Andy Flower. The move back fired. With the large
repertoire of shots that he possesses, Flower blasted the Indian attack
all over the park. Sometimes, he did look forcible. At times, he was
gracefully non-violent. But every stroke of his was polished and complete.
What was important was his rotation of strike. At times he was prepared to
let the tail-enders face the music. At times he shielded them from the
shot deliveries of Srinath and Agarkar. Shrewdly, assessing the
requirements of the situation, he first held and then built up the
Zimbabwean innings. But
nobody can take away Henry Olonga’s effort. He never let his
concentration flag and provided the best support Flower could have
expected. The fact that he faced 90 deliveries for his 11 runs speaks for
itself. Ganguly could have spread the field and got the left-handed
off-spinner bowling while he had just come in at the crease. He did, but
by then, it was all too late. With
all his ideas undone, Ganguly once again looked towards Tendulkar which
was not the right thing to do. It is unwise to expect Tendulkar to break
partnerships at all times. He is in the team to score runs, not to take
wickets. Tendulkar’s bowling is ideally suited for the one-day
situation, not the test matches where the batsman mostly try to defend and
play technically correct shots. All these lapses on the part of the Indian
captain only reinforce the issue of planning well ahead of the match,
which sadly the Indians never seem to care for. Indians
never fail to surprise, more often than not, for the wrong reasons. The
biggest surprise today was the exclusion of Zaheer Khan from the playing
XI. India, instead decided to go into the match against Zimbabwe with six
batsmen and four bowlers, which was all but a defensive move in itself.
It was strange, that you pick five bowlers against Bangladesh, a team
playing their first test match and only four against a team which is both
experienced and unpredictable. Zaheer, who has partly scripted the success
stories of India of late, should have been in the team. Making a young,
quality player like him sit out, invites problems-not for the think tank
of Indian cricket but for the player, whose mental equilibrium is put
under acid test. Another
surprise was Ganguly’s captaincy. He failed to position the right men in
the right places. Rahul Dravid, who is known for quick reflexes, should
have been fielding in the forward short leg instead of the new comer Shiv
Sunder Das. Sachin Tendulkar should have been in the slips instead of the
inexperienced Ramesh. At least, it was not a surprise to see both these
players dropping catches, which should have been comfortably held. Then
again, the mid-wicket fielder was placed deep, a strategy that only gave
away easy singles to the Zimbabweans. A classical Indian day cannot be
bereft of fielding mistakes. “Do not go into the field with a cigarette
or pipe in your mouth” was WG Grace’s advice to fielders. God knows
how many runs India would have conceded if they actually had pipes in
their mouths! Murali
Karthik was under bowled. Tendulkar, who did produce a break through,
should not have been employed in the first session, definitely not before
main bowlers like Murali did not bowl an over. Srinath was the pick of the
bowlers claiming three wickets. He bowled superbly, moving the ball both
ways. Joshi and Agarkar also did their bit. Joshi got the ball to turn
considerably while tossing it up, inviting the batsmen to drive. Except
for getting wickets, Agarkar did every thing right. In a fiery second
spell, he got the ball to reverse swing, repeatedly causing problems for
Campbell. As
for Zimbabwe, they did well to recover after early hiccups. The
partnership between Campbell and Carlisle looked dangerous. But either of
the batsmen failed to convert their good starts into big scores, proving
yet again that their mental approach to the game was inproportionate to their
natural physical talents. Captain
Heath Streak and veteran Andy Flower played aggressively towards the end
to heal much of their wounds. At 232 for the loss of five wickets, the
match is delicately poised. |
|