Zimbabwe v India, 2005-06
Zimbabwe v India, 2005-06
Special Correspondent
15-Apr-2006
At Harare, September 20, 21, 22, 2005. India won by ten wickets. Toss: India. Test debut: W. Mwayenga.
Zimbabwe finally broke their run of innings defeats, and there was some
encouragement for the home side, even though India still won without losing a second-innings
wicket. The match's course seemed predictable from the moment Ganguly put
them in, on a pitch grassier than Bulawayo's but lacking real pace. Zimbabwe would
be bowled out cheaply; India would build a huge lead and declare; Zimbabwe would
be rolled over by an innings.
The first day followed the script. Taylor drove the second ball of the match
handsomely to the cover boundary, only to edge the third to slip. Even Taibu lasted
only two balls, and Streak, at No. 6, was batting by the first drinks break. The batsmen
had no answer to Pathan, who would have tested a more accomplished line-up. He
used the old ball just as well; only some bold strokes from Coventry, who hit 37 in
32 balls, briefly put him off his stride, and he finished with seven for 59, a first-class
career-best. Sehwag and Gambhir raced away again, at a run a ball, and by the close
India led by 34 with only one wicket lost, to Streak, who kept his head while runs
haemorrhaged at the other end.
But the second day wandered from the text. The other bowlers supported Streak
well and, with fine fielding to back them up, kept India down to two an over. Gambhir,
95 overnight, became impatient as Mahwire grew more accurate, and was caught behind
for 97 off an ambitious cover drive. Ganguly was also caught by Taibu, a maiden
wicket for debutant seamer Waddington Mwayenga. Dravid became bogged down and
fell in uncharacteristic fashion, his leg stump knocked back after he went down the
pitch trying to force Mahwire across the line. Only Pathan and Harbhajan Singh seemed
able to handle this unexpectedly controlled bowling, and India's eventual lead was
merely 205. Streak was rewarded with six for 73, his best return in Test cricket.
Normal service was resumed in Zimbabwe's second innings, however. This time,
Zaheer Khan joined Pathan in the destruction; there were four down on the second
evening and, when Streak fell in the opening over next morning, an innings defeat
looked inevitable. But then India's catching, previously a strength, went to pieces.
Blignaut, who had taken Zimbabwe's first Test hat-trick in February 2004, enjoyed
another sort of hat-trick: in the space of three balls, he survived three chances off
Zaheer, missed at second slip, third slip and by the keeper trying to poach one from
first slip.
Thus encouraged, Blignaut unveiled his true talent, hitting out for four sixes and
eight fours. Meanwhile, Masakadza reached his fifty with a huge six over midwicket,
as they added 116 in 24 overs. But Zimbabwe were still three behind when last man
Mwayenga came in; he helped Blignaut add 21, but could not quite see him to a
maiden Test century. Pathan finished with 12 wickets for 126, a record for an Indian
seamer overseas, and India with their first victory in four Tests at Harare.
Man of the Match: I. K. Pathan. Man of the Series: I. K. Pathan.