Clinical Zimbabwe crush woeful India by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Harare Sports Club, Harare
Scorecard:	Zimbabwe v India
Player:	RA Jadeja, H Masakadza, BRM Taylor
Event:	Zimbabwe Tri-Series 2010

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DateLine: 3rd June 2010

 

The Zimbabwean side managed to beat a woeful India with a ruthless and clinical performance that any top side would be proud of. The hosts strangulated the Indian batting with some impressive bowling and then batted with gusto to overcome an Indian side that looked out of their depth.

 

Chigumbura inserted the Indians in after winning the toss and soon his bowlers vindicated his decision. The openers Murali Vijay and Dinesh Karthik went into a shell and their batting was inexplicable. The batting lacked direction and intent as the openers decided to wait for the loose deliveries rather than take the attack to the Zimbabwe bowling unit. The Zimbabwean bowling attack which had just a pacer in the form of Blignaut who was returning to the international fold after five years was allowed to settle into a nice rhythm as the openers simply blocked almost everything that came their way including half-volleys.

 

The batting was laboured and though the pair brought up the fifty run association it ate up crucial deliveries. Karthik fell as he went for a reverse sweep while Murali Vijay's misery was ended as he was stumped. Adding to the stroke-less display by the openers below-par running between the wickets compounded India's problems. Rohit Sharma and skipper Raina fell due to some headless chicken running between the wickets and had it not been for Jadeja's half century India would have had to settle for a total even below 150.

 

At the end of the fifty overs India made 194 for the loss of 9 wickets.

 

Unlike the Indians, the Zimbabwean openers were not shy of playing their shots when the opportunities presented themselves. The openers Masakadza and Taylor took on a toothless Indian bowling unit to make a charge towards the Indian total. Runs came freely with Taylor once again after a circumspect start blazed away like a man possessed. Though the right-hander was a touch slower from the previous game he never looked in any sort of problem.

 

The openers added 128 in 26.3 overs before Taylor holed out in the deep. Masakadza on the other hand eliminated the risk factor in the early part of the innings and as the target got closer he collected a couple of sixes for themselves. A stunning catch from Virat Kohli at mid-wicket finally ended Masakadza's stay in the middle. Zimbabwean skipper Chigumbura and Taibu ensured that the hosts did not have any late alarms as they chased down the target in less that 40 overs to collect a bonus point in their kitty.