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India beat Zimbabwe by 64 runs to level series
MOHALI, India: India earned a convincing 64-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international on Sunday to level the five-match series 1-1.
Skipper Saurav Ganguly top-scored with a sparkling 86 from 83 balls as India amassed 319 for five in their alloted 50 overs after electing to make first use of a perfect batting pitch.
Zimbabwe were then bowled out for 255 in 43.3 overs in reply, needing to overhaul the massive target in 49 overs after being penalised one over for a slow over-rate in the day-night encounter.
Pinch-hitter Travis Friend and opener Alistair Campbell shared in a 134-run second wicket partnership as Zimbabwe raised early hopes of pulling off another victory.
But off-spinner Harbhajan Singh struck off successive overs, having Friend stumped for a 59-ball 63 and then apping Campbell for 62 to reduce the visitors to 143 for three from which they never really recovered.
Dinesh Mongia then grabbed three quick wickets to cap a fine all-round contribution after making a quickfire 45 opening the innings. Mongia took three for 31, including the key wicket of Andy Flower for 29.
Ganguly shared in a 109-run opening partnership with Mongia and added another 81 with Vangipurappu Laxman (52) for the next wicket. Rahul Dravid then scored an aggressive 66 not out to anchor the innings until the end.
Zimbabwe scored a one-wicket win in the first game in Faridabad on Thursday. The third game will be played in the southern Cochin city on Wednesday.
March 10, 2002 - 1630 GMT
Harbhajan strikes as Zimbabwe chase big total
MOHALI, India: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh struck in successive overs as Zimbabwe reached 148 for three wickets in 25 overs chasing a massive 320 for victory against India in the second one-day international on Sunday.
Travis Friend was out for a rapid 63 and opener Alistair Campbell was dismissed for 62. The Flower brothers, Andy and Grant were in partnership.Friend led the counter-attack with authoritative shots before Singh had him stumped off an away going delivery and then trapped Campbell leg before to give India control of the game.
Friend and Campbell had raised a rapid 134-run second wicket stand after Zimbabwe needed to secure victory in 49 overs, having been penalised one over for a slow over rate.
The visitors has been in trouble after opener Dion Ebrahim (1) fell in the second over, edging paceman Ajit Agarkar to the slips, to make it four for one. But Friend hit seven fours and a six to lead the fightback on a perfect batting pitch at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium.
He was lucky to survive on 39 after lofting left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan straight to mid-off, but India's skipper Saurav Ganguly let the ball bounce almost at his feet after missing its flight.
Friend brought up his fifty soon after, from only 43 balls, by driving leg-spinner Anil Kumble through mid-off and lofting him over the same area off successive balls.
Left-hander Campbell supported his aggressive partner and hit some classy shots either side of the wicket to complete his 53-ball fifty with his eighth four before being dismissed playing back to Singh.
Earlier, Ganguly top-scored with an 83-ball 86 as the Indian batsmen dominated a wayward Zimbabwe bowling to amass a record score of 319 for one after electing to bat.
He shared in a 109-run opening stand with fellow left-hander Dinesh Mongia (45) before adding another 81 for the next wicket with Vangipurappu Laxman (52). Rahul Dravid then hit an aggressive 66 not out, from only 59
deliveries, to lift India past the 300-run mark.
March 10, 2002 - 1320 GMT
Ganguly spurs India to 319-6 v Zimbabwe
MOHALI: Skipper Saurav Ganguly top-scored with a sparkling 83-ball 86 as India amassed 319 for six wickets in their allotted 50 overs in the second one-day international against Zimbabwe on Sunday.
India piled up their highest-ever total against their African opponents by surpassing their previous best of 306 for five after Ganguly chose to take first strike on a good batting pitch in the day-night game.
The left-hander showed no ill-effects of a knee injury to lead the early batting assault to score his 45th one-day fifty, and fourth in consecutive games.
Ganguly and fellow left-hander Dinesh Mongia dominated a wayward Zimbabwe pace attack to raise a rapid 109-run opening partnership. He then joined the wristy Vangipurappu Laxman (52) to add another 81 runs for the second
wicket after Mongia was dismissed for a 52-ball 45, which included nine fours.
Rahul Dravid then lashed an unbeaten 66 from 59 balls in an unusually aggressive effort to lift India past the 300-run mark and keep their grip on a struggling bowling attack until the end.
Zimbabwe's bowlers added to their woes by bowling as many as 25 wides in a huge tally of 34 extras. Young paceman Travis Friend alone sent down 10 wides, including five in an 11-ball over.
Ganguly hit eight fours and three huge sixes down the straight field during his 83-ball effort before he was run out nearing his 19th one-day century.
He failed to beat an accurate throw from squareleg fielder Heath Streak after playing paceman Travis Friend off his pads.
Both Ganguly and Mongia went after the pace trio of Streak, Friend and Gary Brent, scoring freely on both sides of the wicket to maintain a run rate of over six an over.
The two brought up India's 100 in just 84 deliveries and on Mongia's dismissal, driving Douglas Marillier's fast off-break to mid-on, Ganguly and Laxman continued to rapidly build the innings.
Zimbabwe's leading paceman Streak bore the brunt of the Indian batsmen, going for 72 runs in his 10-over spell. Only Marillier, whose batting exploits helped Zimbabwe pull off a sensational one-wicket victory in the first game, showed some consistency to return 1-51 from his full quota of overs.
Laxman's 72-ball effort ended in the 40th over when he edged an attempted pull against Friend to point, but Dravid took over to remain unbeaten until the end. Dravid hit six fours after completing his 36th one-day fifty and found good support from Mohammad Kaif (15) and Harbhajan Singh (15 not out), who both added quick runs into the final overs.
March 10, 2002 - 0845 GMT
India win toss and bat first
MOHALI: India captain Saurav Ganguly won the toss and opted to bat first against Zimbabwe in the second one-day international on Sunday.
Both teams remain unchanged from the opening game of the five-match series, won by Zimbabwe by one wicket in Faridabad on Thursday. Ganguly was leading India for the day-night fixture despite nursing a right knee injury
suffered during the Faridabad match.
Teams: India - Saurav Ganguly (captain), Dinesh Mongia, Vangipurappu Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Kaif, Sanjay Bangar, Ajay Ratra (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan.
Zimbabwe - Stuart Carlisle (captain), Alistair Campbell, Craig Wishart, Travis Friend, Andy Flower, Dion Ebrahim, Grant Flower, Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Douglas Marillier, Gary Brent.
Umpires: S K Tarapore and Alok Bhattacharjee. TV umpire: G A
Pratapkumar. Match referee: John Reid (New Zealand)
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