Zimbabwe players delights in second India win

Sport
MAN of the match Brendan Taylor and captain Elton Chigumbura, two of the best players in the Zimbabwe cricket team, have hailed the six-wicket win over India yesterday, their second in the series over the Indians.

MAN of the match Brendan Taylor and captain Elton Chigumbura, two of the best players in the Zimbabwe cricket team, have hailed the six-wicket win over India yesterday, their second in the series over the Indians.

The two said it was a good sign to see Zimbabwe dominate in batting, bowling and fielding. “We know that India is a massive cricketing nation and to be on top is a thrilling feeling,” Taylor said.After limiting India to 194-9 in an impressive bowling showing at the Harare Sports Club, the hosts were then rallied by openers Brendan Taylor’s 74 and Hamilton Masakadza (66) to reach 197-3.

“I thought all the bowlers bowled really well,” said Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura. “And when we batted we knew it was just a matter of getting good partnerships, and Hami and BT batted really well.”Chigumbura added: “We were confident before the series that we will win some games if we executed our plans well, which is what happened today. You just have to do things right.”

The aggressive Taylor was strong on the backfoot, plundered six fours and one six from 90 balls. His partner Masakadza faced 86 balls and smashed four fours and two towering sixes off spinner Amit Mishra in the 31st over.

Rarely does a Zimbabwean pair of batsmen from this current crop look as good against an international attack as Taylor and Masakadza did, adroitly putting on 128 for the first wicket.

Taylor said the victory over India made up for the disappointment of not executing good form into a century. It was his 19th half-century in ODI cricket.

First to depart was man-of-the-match Taylor, who lobbed a Pragyan Ojha delivery in the 27th over for Murali Vijay to catch running to long off.

31 runs later Masakadza exited after Virat Kohli held on to a splendid mid on catch from Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling.

The only other Zimbabwe wicket to fall was Charles Coventry, who was well caught by Yusuf Pathan off Ravindra Jadeja having added 20 runs. But at that stage Zimbabwe was well on course as Chigumbura (16 not out) and Tatenda Taibu (13 not out) eased them home with 11.4 overs to go.

“They bowled well,” said India skipper Suresh Raina. “We were not getting the partnership, especially from the new batsmen. The wicket was good to bat on, the ball was coming nicely to the bat. We just didn’t bat well.”

He said of India’s next match against Sri Lanka on Saturday: “It’s an important game for us. We have to play well against Sri Lanka, they are a good side. Hope all goes well for us.”Off-spinner Greg Lamb had earlier taken a career best 3-45 in his 10 overs in an impressive bowling performance by the hosts on a receptive Harare Sports Club wicket.

Ravindra Jadeja top-scored with 51. He faced 72 balls, cracking three fours and two sixes.Experience carried the day for Zimbabwe with veteran bowlers Andy Blignaut and Ray Price keeping the Indian batsmen under check with accurate lines and length in the opening spell.

Pace bowler Blignaut tested the Indian openers with accurate short-pitched deliveries while spinner Price gave the ball good flight.

The first wicket fell in the 17th over when opener Dinesh Karthik on 33 tried to reverse-sweep Lamb and top-edged to be caught by fit-again wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu.

Lamb bagged his second wicket when the other opener Murali Vijay (21) charged down the wicket to be stumped by Taibu, off Lamb.

Virat Kohli nicked behind to Taibu off Utseya for 18, while captain Suresh Raina (3) succumbed to a brilliant piece of fielding by Blignaut, who directly run him out from square leg.

Enock Muchinjo