da aviator aposta： Zimbabwe had a lot of hard work to do as they resumed on 31 for threeafter dismissing India for 237
John Ward16-Jun-2001Zimbabwe had a lot of hard work to do as they resumed on 31 for threeafter dismissing India for 237. This they did with a lot of credit,thanks mainly to a gutsy innings of 80 not out from Grant Flower, wholifted his team from a shaky 110 for five to a lead of 64 runs at theclose with two wickets still in hand. At stumps on the second day ofthe second Test match at the Harare Sports Club ground on Saturday,Zimbabwe were 301 for eight.In the morning, Dion Ebrahim began with confidence, playing someparticularly impressive drives, although he played and misseddangerously at times. Andy Flower though only occasionally showed hisbest form and was perhaps fortunate to survive an lbw appeal by AjitAgarkar when on 18. Despite that, he passed 1000 runs in Test cricketagainst India alone.The primary aim was clearly to occupy the crease during the firstsession. India stuck to their pace trio for more than 90 minutes, withAgarkar perhaps the best, restraining Flower and enjoying no luck.They kept an attacking field and, with the slow outfield, threes weremore frequent than boundaries.When Harbhajan Singh belatedly came on, Flower immediately came tolife. He reverse-swept him for four, and then swept and glanced afurther ten runs off the next three balls. But his eagerness to seizethe initiative proved his undoing, as off the final ball of the overhe pushed a catch to forward short leg and was dismissed for 45. Itwas another good catch by Shiv Sunder Das. This was only the secondtime India had ever dismissed him for less than 50 in a Test; on theprevious occasion he made 30.Ebrahim sadly fell on 49, trying to hit across a quicker ball fromHarbhajan and being trapped lbw. At lunch Zimbabwe were back introuble at 113 for five, and Harbhajan had the interesting figures of3-1-16-2.Grant Flower and Heath Streak dug in with determination after lunch,but both were free enough to play the odd powerful stroke, and werenot afraid to attack Harbhajan. With India maintaining an attackingfield with four close catchers, it was enthralling cricket.Streak, on 11, became the first Zimbabwean to achieve the Test doubleof 1000 runs and 100 wickets. They batted until half an hour beforetea until Steak (40) suffered an unlucky dismissal similar to that ofSachin Tendulkar the previous day – when Steak was the bowler. Theroles were reversed now, as Streak misread Tendulkar’s googly and paidthe penalty for padding up, the ball ricocheting from his pad on tothe stumps. Zimbabwe were now 175 for six.Grant Flower, hitherto quiescent, now opened up with the aggressiveAndy Blignaut as his partner, and a flurry of runs ensued. Just aftertea, Flower celebrated his 50th Test match with a fifty, the first ofthe innings after three forties. India were frustrated by the umpire’srejection of an appeal for a catch at the wicket against Blignaut offHarbhajan when he was on 29, and television replays seemed to indicatethey were unlucky. Blignaut celebrated with a remarkable six overextra cover, taking Zimbabwe into the lead, but then moved down thepitch to be stumped for 35.Travis Friend, in his maiden Test innings, scored a valuable 15 beforebeing bowled by Ashish Nehra, while Brian Murphy (17 not out) also dugin to give Flower invaluable support. India spared no effort, butfound the Zimbabwean tail much harder to shift with the second newball than the top order had been with the first. They fielded superblyand bowled well, with Javagal Srinath the only bowler who seemed belowform.