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In a thrilling run-chase, Zimbabwe tracked down a daunting Indian total to win the opening match of the triangular tournament by six wickets with ten balls to spare. Despite a poor start, despite requiring a run rate of almost nine an over at one stage, they showed the spirit and skill to break through the barrier and win handsomely.

India decided to bat on winning the toss, correctly seeing little danger of early life in the pitch. Zimbabwe were lacking Tatenda Taibu, who has injured his ankle. India were given a flying start by Zimbabwe ’s new captain, Elton Chigumbura, who had a nightmare opening spell with the ball. If his first over was erratic, his second was horrendous, conceding 26 runs, most of them in leg-side wides that Brendan Taylor, the wicket-keeper, was unable to reach. When the 50 went up in the eighth over, 26 were extras, and three of those were wides.

At the other end Chris Mpofu was doing a steady job without support, but the momentum was broken by two fine run-outs. Murali Vijay paid the price for carelessness in turning back after considering a second run, and Taylor ’s backward underhand flick found him stranded; Virat Kohli didn’t face a ball before Chigumbura showed his fielding had not suffered, with a direct hit. When Dinesh Karthik edged an attempted cut off Utseya to the keeper, India were 61 for three in the 13th over.

Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina were forced to consolidate, contenting themselves with working the ball around for singles, which they did skilfully. The 100 came up in the 25th over, but at 128 Raina, growing impatient, slashed at a very wide ball from Mpofu and was caught at the wicket for 37 off 53 balls. But Sharma stood firm and increased the tempo, finding a good partner in Ravindra Jadeja. Once past 50, Sharma improvised marvellously at times and both made batting look easy; there was nothing the Zimbabwean bowlers could do to keep them under control.

With two overs to go Sharma finally skied a catch to the keeper and departed for 114, scored off 119 balls, with six fours and four sixes. With Yusuf Pathan contributing 11 off five balls, Jadeja finished unbeaten on 61 off the same number of balls. India totalled a very impressive 285 for five, with only three wickets falling to the bowlers. When Zimbabwe went in to bat after lunch, though, Hamilton Masakadza and Taylor immediately showed they were not to be daunted.

They latched on to the bad balls and played their strokes readily and responsibly, in particular driving with certainty. The 50 came up in the ninth over with another superb drive to the boundary by Masakadza, and then Taylor first pulled and then drove sixes in an over from Vinay Kumar. After ten overs, Zimbabwe had 68 on the board. At 88, though, Masakadza tried to force a ball from Amit Mishra off the back foot and was bowled for 46, off 43 balls. Greg Lamb did not look comfortable at the start, but the 100 came up in the 17th over, which put Zimbabwe well ahead of India at that stage. Immediately afterwards Taylor went to his 50 off the same number of balls.

After this the batsmen unaccountably went through a quiet period, and were beginning to fall behind the run rate when Lamb played down the wrong line to Ravindar Jadeja’s arm ball and was trapped lbw for 27; 151 for two in the 30th over. At 176 Taylor finally departed for 81 (103 balls), caught off a cramped pull; at this stage the required run rate was almost seven and over. It might have been a good time to send in Andy Blignaut – but Charles Coventry is no slouch either. But the required rate swelled to more than eight an over, and it should now have been clear that only something extraordinary would give Zimbabwe the victory that had looked well within their grasp during the opening partnership.

Coventry suddenly exploded with a huge six over the sightscreen off Pathan, and in the next over hit another over midwicket off Mishra; a third travelled over extra cover off Pathan, all going as high as they did long. But then Yadav bowled him through the gate as he was deceived by a slower ball, for 32 off 25 balls. With five overs to go, 42 were still needed, but they were now in the batting powerplay. Ervine, on his ODI debut, reached an admirable fifty off 51 balls, and 18 runs came off the 46th over, mostly to Chigumbura; Zimbabwe were favourites again, with both batsmen playing with great judgment. Two leg-side boundaries by Ervine, who batted like an experienced international player of real class, left four off the last two overs – but they were full tosses, and India ’s inexperience was letting them down. With ten balls to spare, a top-edged pull to the boundary over the keeper’s head by Chigumbura took Zimbabwe through to a fine victory. Ervine finished with 67 and Chigumbura with 20; Blignaut was not needed after all.

Despite their sagging run rate, Zimbabwe did not panic and managed to keep their target just within the realms of possibility while keeping their wickets intact. It will have done the morale of the side tremendous good, while India lacked the experienced bowlers who would surely have bowled better at the death than the enthusiastic but raw youngsters. Full scorecard below the cut.
[Source: ZC]

India innings (50 overs maximum)	
						R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
KD Karthik†	c †Taylor b Utseya		22	54	39	2	0	56.41
M Vijay		run out (Utseya/†Taylor)	11	40	24	1	0	45.83
V Kohli		run out (Chigumbura)		0	3	0	0	0	-
RG Sharma	c †Taylor b Mpofu		114	135	119	6	4	95.79
SK Raina*	c †Taylor b Mpofu		37	56	53	2	0	69.81
RA Jadeja	not out				61	79	61	5	0	100.00
YK Pathan	not out				11	10	5	1	1	220.00
	Extras	(b 1, lb 1, w 26, nb 1)		29					
	Total	(5 wickets; 50 overs; 194 mins)	285	(5.70 runs per over)

Did not bat: A Mishra, AB Dinda, R Vinay Kumar, U Yadav

Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Vijay, 8.6 ov), 2-57 (Kohli, 9.3 ov), 3-61 (Karthik, 12.3 ov), 4-128 (Raina, 29.6 ov), 
5-260 (Sharma, 47.5 ov)

Bowling		O	M	R	W	Econ		
CB Mpofu	10	1	63	2	6.30	(1w)	
E Chigumbura	2	0	36	0	18.00	(1nb, 6w)	
RW Price	10	0	53	0	5.30	(4w)	
P Utseya	10	0	46	1	4.60		
GA Lamb		10	0	40	0	4.00		
AG Cremer	7	0	40	0	5.71	(1w)	
AM Blignaut	1	0	5	0	5.00		


Zimbabwe innings (target: 286 runs from 50 overs)	
							R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
H Masakadza	b Mishra				46	54	43	5	1	106.97
BRM Taylor†	c Yadav b Vinay Kumar			81	125	103	4	2	78.64
GA Lamb		lbw b Jadeja				27	55	43	0	0	62.79
CR Ervine	not out					67	83	60	5	0	111.66
CK Coventry	b Vinay Kumar				32	36	25	0	3	128.00
E Chigumbura*	not out					24	30	16	4	0	150.00
	Extras	(lb 10, w 2)				12					
	Total	(4 wickets; 48.2 overs; 193 mins)	289	(5.97 runs per over)

Did not bat: AM Blignaut, AG Cremer, P Utseya, RW Price, CB Mpofu

Fall of wickets: 1-88 (Masakadza, 12.6 ov), 2-151 (Lamb, 29.3 ov), 3-176 (Taylor, 34.1 ov), 
4-231 (Coventry, 42.6 ov)

Bowling		O	M	R	W	Econ		
AB Dinda	7.2	0	49	0	6.68		
R Vinay Kumar	8	0	51	2	6.37	(1w)	
U Yadav		8	0	48	0	6.00		
A Mishra	10	0	47	1	4.70		
RA Jadeja	10	0	51	1	5.10		
YK Pathan	4	0	28	0	7.00	(1w)	
RG Sharma	1	0	5	0	5.00