adminTHE recently concluded Prayag Cup One-Day International (ODI) series probably panned out as most expected, with India making it a relatively comfortable clean sweep.
Although the result went according to the script, India would have been disappointed with a few factors in the three match series.
The first ODI saw the visitors slip to 87 for five on a tricky wicket, with a number of influential Indian Premier League(IPL) players already back in the change-room.
Players such as captain Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay and Robin Uthappa, are seasoned campaigners, desperately trying to cement their places in the India national team.
Playing IPL cricket is one thing, the glitz and glamour that accompanies such a prestigious tournament is considered by some people a far cry from the quieter surroundings of Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe and so therefore would more than likely not bring out the best in a player.
Such thoughts couldn’t be more further from the truth, regardless of one’s surroundings, or the team they are up against, one would want to give their very best and more, to ensure selection for the next international series, which — for India — happens to be South Africa.
Stuart Binny, who is a real scrapper, is another example of being around the system for many seasons, but has not quite done enough to assure the selectors that he would be able to pull India out of a tricky situation.
Friday’s first ODI was more than tricky, and the experienced all-rounder applied himself with aplomb as he and Ambati Rayudu resurrected the Indian innings.
As good as Binny and Rayudu were, Zimbabwe would have been bitterly disappointed that the two Indian batsmen were able to dictate terms, regardless of the situation they found themselves in.
Zimbabwe have been guilty on several occasions of getting themselves into strong positions, but not being able to drive home the final nail, which has allowed the opposition to not only recover, but post defendable totals, as was the case in both the first and third ODIs.
The one area of concern that has bedevilled Zimbabwe Cricket since their first trip to the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup in England way back in 1983, is the lack of genuine and more to the point, consistent fast bowling.
The team is in desperate need of a couple of seamers who are capable of bowling prolonged spells of genuine pace and aggression.
The unfortunate scenario is that they rely heavily on sluggish pitches, which assist their medium pacers, or dry pitches which in turn will assist their spinners.
Unfortunately, the softer and more sluggish pitches eventually dry out and become easier to bat on, by which time, India’s middle and lower order players were able to post a decent total.
After the early losses of Vusimuzi Sibanda and Chamunorwa Chibhabha in the first ODI, not many would have given Zimbabwe much hope to get the total of 255 runs set by India.
But, as previously mentioned, the decision to move Elton Chigumbura (pictured) up to number four may turn out to be a career-improving decision for the skipper.
He has become a reluctant bowler, but if he continues to bat the way he has been, Zimbabwe may very well have discovered the player who could fill the rather large and important boots of Brendan Taylor.
Like Taylor, Chigumbura understands his game and knows when to play the conservative role and when to play the finishing role, which very nearly gave Zimbabwe a 1-0 lead in the series on Friday had it not been for Graeme Cremer’s error in judgment when he opted to play a reverse sweep at a very crucial point of the match.
The second ODI saw Zimbabwe with their backs against the wall pretty much from the start.
The Indian openers summed up the situation and treated the spectators to a wonderful exhibition of batting. They kept it simple, by treating every ball on merit. If it was good, it was defended. If it was wide, it was left alone. If it was punishable, it got the treatment.
But, above all, the openers were alert to every opportunity of rotating the strike by running hard between the wickets, which lead to an opening stand of 112 runs.
This was another area in which most of the Zimbabwe batsmen really struggled throughout the series.
Granted, India’s bowlers were spot on, which made scoring opportunities limited, but the Zimbabwean batsmen seemed to operate in two modes, which consisted of either defending the ball, or trying to hit it.
Sadly, none of the batsmen were able to find the gaps and keep the scoreboard ticking, which in turn placed a lot of pressure on the middle and lower order.
One positive that came out of the second ODI was the bowling performance of young Neville Madziva, who returned career best figures of four wickets for 49 runs from his 10 overs.
Madziva seems to have good work ethic and generally keeps it very simple and basic when he bowls. He does, however, have the ability of slipping in the yorker at the back end of the opposition, and, given more game time, he will hopefully be able to rectify his faults, such as the number of wide balls he concedes with the new ball.
Some might describe the third and final ODI as a lucky escape for India, while others would suggest that Zimbabwe yet again were unable to keep their foot on the throat of the opposition.
Chigumbura made it three wins out of three at the toss and his decision to bowl seemed to have been vindicated when his bowlers had reduced India to 82 for four, before Manish Pandey and Kader Jadhav’s partnership undid all the hard work of Hamilton Masakadza, (1 /31) and Prosper Utseya (1 /41) plus some pretty average fielding towards the latter end of India’s innings.
The home side once again found themselves under the pump with the early loss of Hamilton Masakadza, and despite another excellent contribution from Chibhabha who followed up his 72 which he made in the second ODI with a solid 82, nobody was able to give any support, which lead to an emphatic 83 run loss.
It’s never easy to talk about positives when a team is beaten 3-0, but fortunately there are a few positive observations.
Chigumbura’s unbeaten 104 in the first ODI was played under real pressure and it has become very apparent that the captain has settled into a mature, yet free flowing middle order batsman.
Madziva at times showed signs of becoming a partnership breaker and Chibhabha has shown that he is capable of getting through a 10 over spell, if called upon to do so, thanks to his brilliant spell of two for 25 from 10 overs in the first ODI.
Chibhabha then backed up his bowling effort in the first ODI with back to back half centuries and although they were in a losing cause, there is no doubt that this shy and quietly spoken all-rounder will become a regular member of the squad.
All the batsmen, however, including Chibhabha, will have to work very hard at rotating the strike and turning promising starts into match-winning finishes, while the bowlers and fielders will have to learn how to finish the opposition off when they have them on the ropes. — zimcricket.
Online Reporter