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Test #1517 India vs Zimbabwe at Nagpur. Report by Sriram K.

25 oct.Nagpur: The 2nd of the Pepsi test series between India and Zimbabwe concluded here today. No result, but a closely fought test none the less. The Indian skipper Ganguly won the toss and opted to bat in good batting conditions.

The first hour of play all went India's way with both Das and Ramesh getting away a few fours. In no time at all the 50 partnership was up. Soon Zimbabwe fought their way back with Ramesh falling to Whittal to what seemed a dubious lbw decision. Das and Dravid then batted along superbly with Das getting to his 50 in 92 balls.

After lunch the weather, one suspected would spoil the fun, as rain seemed imminent. But the weather proved to be less gloomy than the shot played by Dravid to get bowled by Murphy. The fall of Dravid brought in the little master to the crease. Tendulkar was just getting his feet moving when a swinging delivery saw the bowler appealing. A close one indeed!! A couple of overs later Das too got a reprive. Things were going well for the Indians when Tendulkar made the only mistake of the innings and fell caught behind. Das, playing along wonderfully well was let off again on 86 when Murphy dropped a tough chance in the slips off Nkala. Das was not third time lucky as the third chance offered by him was gracefully accepted by Murphy with Whittal getting his second wicket. Agarkar and Ganguly played along till tea and also brought up their 50 run partnership.

The tea break seemed to disturb both the batsmen's concentration as both Agarkar and Ganguly fell in quick succession immediately after tea. Ganguly completed his fifty before falling to a Murphy googly. Joshi and Dahiya saw India through the day as India ended day one on 308/6.

Zimbabwe started day 2 on a good note with Dahiya falling in the 2nd over of the day. Joshi played a couple of good shots and reached his fifty. Though it was not a chanceless innings it was a well compiled innings all the same.The toothless Zimbabwean attack toiled to clean up the tail as Joshi and Srinath raised 66 runs for the 7th wicket before Joshi fell caught by Carlisle while going for a big heave over mid wicket at the stroke of lunch. Unseasonal rains poured down after lunch but play resumed without much delay. The remaining wickets fell soon and the Indian innings folded up for 393 runs.

The latest Indian fast bowling sensation, Zaheer Khan, got in the required early breakthrough as Rennie found himself unable to stop a swinging yorker from disturbing the stumps. But, luck soon caught up with Zaheer as he dropped an easy catch off his own bowling to give Whittal a let off. Latching on the dropped chance Whittal and Carlisle completed their 100 run partnership with Whittal making 50. Immediately after reaching his fifty Whittal fell trying to hoist Sarandeep over square leg, only to find his stumps shattered. Not wanting to lose important wickets the Zimbabweans tried to play safe and sent in Olonga as the nightwatchman.

Play was delayed a bit on the third day due to the early morning fog in the city. Rain again played spoilsport as only 4 overs of play was possible as players took an early lunch.

After lunch play resumed and the Indians kept dropping catches as 50 run partnership was raised. Finally Carlisle went edging a Srinath outswinger to Dahiya. Olonga followed suit mistiming a pull to square leg. Rain again poured down as tea was preponed. Intermittent rain hampered concentration as Campbell fell to a loose shot off the bowling of Agarkar. Numerous stoppages of play due to rain and a costly miss by Joshi in the form of a dropped catch off Srinath marked the end of the third day.

Early on the fourth morning the flower brothers completed their 50 run association, with Andy Flower reaching his 50 with a splendid cover drive off Srinath. But Srinath got back at him by uprooting his middle stump a couple of overs later. Streak and Grant Flower followed suit falling quickly to Zaheer Khan. Viljoen and Murphy did not last long and the innings ended at 315.

India got an early setback in their second innings as Ramesh was bowled failing to move his feet to a well pitched ball by Streak. After lunch Dravid hit a flurry of fours to bring up the fifty partnership between him and Das. As all good things must come to an end so did Dravid's cameo come to an end as he went for one shot too many. Tendulkar did not make his presence felt for too long much to the disappointment of the Nagpur crowd .The ball turned hugely from outside leg stump to bowl him around his legs. The players returned for the tea break with the sky looking very overcast.

Das soon got to his fifty and raised a fifty run partnership with Ganguly. Das struggled to score quickly and was out trying to lift the scoring rate. Agarkar did not last long being caught plumb in front of the stumps to a straightish ball by Whittall. By close of play Ganguly had got to his second half century of the match.

After about half an hour of play on the fifth morning Ganguly decided to declare with a lead of 331.It was a great decision by the captain to put the team's victory above his personal achievement in not going for his century.

Srinath got an early breakthrough sending the dangerous Andy Whittall back for a partly eight. Zaheer dealt two more quick blows to send the Zimbabweans reeling at 32 for 3. Andy Flower made merry with the aggressive field placings by Ganguly as he hit 5 fours to reach 28 off 33 balls at lunch.

After lunch it was not surprising to see Flower reach his half century with a flurry of strokes .The partnership soon reached a hundred and Ganguly was left with some thinking to do. Andy flower looked unstoppable as fours flowed from his bat, seventeen of them to be precise, and he reached the three figure mark with a couple to fine leg. A magnificent century indeed! The Indians had some luck going their way as Carlisle was adjudged leg before to Joshi when the replays clearly showed a inside edge on to his pads. But this wicket brought the Indians back into the game. Three overs later when Andy flower fell to Sarandeep, Zimbabwe were looking down the barrel. The Zimbabweans managed to hang around till tea without further loss.

The tea break seemed to have rejunevated the Zimbabweans as both Streak and Grant flower batted sensibly. The Indians had to take 5 wickets in the last hour and it seemed an easy draw for Zimbabwe. But Streak was caught at third man trying to hit the ball over the slips. Viljoen soon edged to the keeper as Agarkar looked pumped up But the remaining wickets provided the required resistance to see Zimbabwe through as the game ended in a tame draw.

Though a draw did not seem a fair result for the Indians, having played so well, There was a lot to gain from the match Zimbabwe and Andy Flower showed that the underdogs of yesteryears are beginning to come of age. Andy Flower was adjudged man of the match for his fine effort with the bat and behind the stumps. With the second match drawn India lead the series 1-0 with another match to go.