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Jeffrey Murimbechi in BULAWAYO
AN absolutely horrendous batting performance from Zimbabwe, on a batsman’s paradise wicket at Queens Sports Club, saw the hosts nose-diving to a nine-wicket loss against India in the Celkom Mobile ODI series yesterday. The victory gave the world champions a 4-0 lead in the five-match series and the good money is now on them completing a 5-0 whitewash that will confirm the gulf in class between the world’s best team and the wobbly hosts.
The pitch was not a landmine, like the one the team played on at the practice match at Country Club in Harare, and neither it aid the fast bowlers in the morning conditions as is the case with the Harare Sports Club tracks.
But still Zimbabwe were all out for 144 runs in just 42.4 overs.
Given that Queens had a plain flat track, with slight patches at the City end, losing the toss and going to bat first was not a factor to consider in Zimbabwe’s appalling performance.
“It was a good wicket to bat on, we all know that when we play at Queens it’s always a batters wicket and if you apply yourself you can make runs,” said in-form all-rounder Elton Chigumbura after scoring an unbeaten 50.
“The guys are working very well but I think it’s a matter of being smart when you start your innings, especially our first 10 overs, where we are losing wickets. Guys need to take a little bit of time on the wicket I am sure it will all come into place like it did for me,”
By the 16th over, Zimbabwe were down five wickets with only 47 runs on the board.
Raza Butt was the only one who could feel that he could have done very little about his dismissal after succumbing to a good length delivery, before the ball kissed the outside edge of his bat.
A communication breakdown had Hamilton Masakadza run out while captain Brendan Taylor’s batting woes continued as an angled the ball from Ravindra Jadeja, from round the wicket, had him trapped lbw although replays showed that the ball appeared to be missing leg stump.
However, Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller brought some stability to the carnage with an 80-run partnership that made sure that Zimbabwe surpassed the 100-run mark.
Chigumbura’s level-headed innings became the pillar, once again, at the bottom end of Zimbabwe’s innings.
He simply waited for anything that pitched a tad too short, full or too wide off stump which allowed him to rotate strike while punching balls into gaps. India made a clear assessment of the pitch with knowledge of its lifelessness and bowled in disciplined lines.
They did not try any fancy variations as their stock balls were enough for Zimbabwe to hand their wickets away.
Armit Mishra was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets for 25 runs in 8.4 overs which earned him the man-of-the-match award.
In the easiest of run chases, Mountaineers’ young right-arm fast bowler, Tendai Chatara, ended Indian debutant Cheteshwar Pujara’s innings by bowling him after forcing him to lunge forward leaving a gap between bat and pad to uproot the leg stump.
However, all-round, this was a feeble effort in defending such a low total against top sheer world class batting.
Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma finished the innings with half centuries for a second wicket 122-run partnership to the dismay of the tiny crowd that braced the cold at Queens.
Scorecard
Zimbabwe 144 (42.4 overs) v India 145/1 (30.5 overs)
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Toss: India, elected to bowl
Result: India won by nine wickets
Zimbabwe Innings
Vusimuzi Sibanda b Jadeja 24
Sikandar Raza Karthik bM Sharma 7
Hamilton Masakadza run out 10
Brendan Taylor lbw b Jadeja 0
Sean Williams Unadkat 0
Malcom Waller Karthik b M Sharma 35
Elton Chigumbura not out 50
Prosper Utseya R Sharmab Ahmed 1
Tendai Chatara Jadeja b Mishra 1
Brian Vitori Mishra 8
Michael Chinouya Kohli bMishra 0
Extras (2b, 2lb, 4w) 8 Total (all out,42.4 overs) 144
Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Raza), 2-36 (Masakadza), 3-44 (Taylor), 4-47 (Williams),5-47 (Sibanda), 6-127 (Waller), 7-130 (Utseya), 8-133 (Chatara), 9-143 (Vitori),10-144 (Chinouya).
Bowling: M Sharma 10-3-26-2, Shami Ahmed8-1-34-1, Unadkat 7-0-27-1, Jadeja 9-1-28-2, Mishra 8.4-0-25-3.
India innings
Cheteshwar Pujara Chatara 13
Rohit Sharma not out 64
Virat Kohli not out 65
Did not bat:Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Shami Ahmed, Mohit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat.
Extras ( 1lb, 2w) 3 Total (30.5 overs) 145/1
Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Pujara)
Bowling: Vitori 5.5-1-21-0, Chinouya 4-0-14-0, Chatara 5-1-31-1, Utseya 9-0-42-0, Chigumbura 2-0-12-0, Williams 4-0-21-0, Waller 1-0-3-0
Online Reporter