After three days of the Second Test at Harare Sports Club, the match
was still in the balance by the close, although solid batting second
time round had perhaps given India a slight advantage
John Ward17-Jun-2001After three days of the Second Test at Harare Sports Club, the match
was still in the balance by the close, although solid batting second
time round had perhaps given India a slight advantage. At 197 for
four, they were 119 runs ahead with six wickets left and threatening
to leave the home side a difficult target.Zimbabwe began the day with a lead of 64 runs on first innings and two
wickets left. Brian Murphy did not add to his overnight 17, driving
irresponsibly at a full-length ball from Harbhajan Singh in his first
over, when all that was required of him was support for Grant Flower,
and lost his off stump.Brighton Watambwa came in with a runner, after his hamstring strain,
and held firm, but Flower fell for 86, well caught low down by VVS
Laxman at slip off Javagal Srinath. Zimbabwe totalled 315, a lead of
78. With the strength of the Indian batting, this could be described
as no better than `useful’.Samir Dighe opened with Shiv Sunder Das for India second time round,
but at first Zimbabwe’s opening bowlers wasted the new ball, failing
to make the batsmen play all too often. Then Dighe (4) followed a
ball from Andy Blignaut outside the off stump and edged a catch to
wicket-keeper Andy Flower.Laxman did not look very comfortable at first and had a lucky escape
when a miscued pull off Travis Friend lobbed high into a vacant area
towards fine leg. He immediately celebrated with two magnificent
cover-driven boundaries, followed by a fierce pull for four and an
off-drive for three, all off Blignaut’s next over. Then he lashed
Friend square and Murphy picked up a sharp ground-level catch at
point. The umpire did not refer the decision to the third umpire; a
referral under existing technology could not have given a decision in
time, and umpire Asoka de Silva is to be congratulated on having the
courage of his convictions. Laxman was out for 20 and India were 32
for two.Das and Tendulkar continued watchfully after lunch, steering India
cautiously into the lead again and taking no chances. Zimbabwe bowled
accurately to an off-side field, finding quite a bit of swing, and
scoring opportunities were not frequent as each side strove to wear
down the other. Zimbabwe, one seam bowler short with Watambwa
injured, were at a disadvantage here over the long term, and the
decision was taken to risk Guy Whittall’s dodgy knee by giving him a
spell.Das has plenty of patience but Tendulkar restrained himself admirably,
until in the thirties he felt settled enough to pull and cut Friend
twice for four in an over. He reached his fifty just before tea.
Zimbabwe had little for which to reprove themselves during the
afternoon session, except possibly some lack of imagination, but were
nevertheless helpless as the balance of the match swung slowly but
steadily in India’s favour. Their approach seemed to be simply to
bowl tightly just outside off stump and wait for the batsmen to make a
mistake, and India were batting with plenty of patience.In the final session some poorer bowling enabled India to restart with
confidence and the century partnership was reached. Das reached his
fifty with a neat cut for four through the slips, but then Tendulkar
(69) chopped at a ball from Streak outside off stump, for it to fly
hard and straight to Grant Flower in the gully.Thereafter the cricket slowed right down, as Zimbabwe continued to
play a come-and-get-me policy, using mainly their seamers and giving
leg-spinner Murphy little work. Das came almost to a standstill,
while Rahul Dravid played the odd exquisite stroke to the odd loose
ball. Had they stayed to the close, Zimbabwe would indeed have been
struggling, but Andy Blignaut took the second new ball, due for the
final over of the day, and had Dravid caught at the wicket for 26, a
major blow for Zimbabwe. Das finished unbeaten with 68.
