da imperador bet： India continued their run of success in the triangular tournament,with a six-wicket victory over West Indies, who found themselves twowickets down after three overs on a flat but sluggish pitch, and werenever in the game thereafter
John Ward30-Jun-2001India continued their run of success in the triangular tournament,with a six-wicket victory over West Indies, who found themselves twowickets down after three overs on a flat but sluggish pitch, and werenever in the game thereafter.On another clear Bulawayo morning, India won the toss again and putWest Indies in. Perhaps the move was due to some suspicion of earlylife in the pitch, although in the present dry conditions that waslikely to be minimal, and also because they are playing apredominantly seam attack, resting Harbhajan Singh.West Indies lost Chris Gayle (0) in the second over, trapped back onthe crease without footwork and lbw to seamer Harvinder Singh,recalled to the Indian team after a long absence. Daren Ganga (2)followed, caught in the covers off a leading edge to DebashishMohanty, and West Indies were reeling at 2 for two wickets, with thebowlers finding a good amount of swing, even if the pitch gave themlittle help.Wavell Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul struggled against goodbowling, most of their runs coming in quick singles. Eventually Hinds(9), frustrated, lashed out at Mohanty and gave Reetinder Sodhi hissecond catch in the covers. Chanderpaul (10) followed a ball fromHarvinder that moved away, edged to the keeper, and at 26 for fourWest Indies appeared virtually out of the match. Mohanty’s openingspell of seven overs cost just 8 runs for two wickets. Sharp Indianfielding also kept the runs to the minimum.After 20 overs West Indies were only 33 for four, but then Carl Hooperdecided to open up more. He hit Zaheer Khan high over his head forfour but, tied down, hit the same bowler to mid-on to be caught for14. In the 25th over, West Indies were in desperate need of a miracleat 47 for five.They didn’t get one, but at least Marlon Samuels played a calm,responsible innings, ably assisted by Ridley Jacobs. The pair added72 most commendably in 92 balls before Mohanty returned to break thestand, having Samuels (44) caught at deepish mid-on. MahendraNagamootoo (17) continued the good work until he was out to a finefull-stretch return catch by Khan, just before Jacobs reached aninvaluable fifty off 69 balls.Mohanty finished with three for 18 off his ten overs, and India neverreally lost their control, hard though the West Indian lower ordertried. Jacobs, as he has done so often, held it all together, thistime with 53 not out, and West Indies finished on 169 for seven.India began their reply quietly, almost somnolently, scoring just 24without loss in the first ten overs. The West Indian bowling was notparticularly threatening but it was accurate enough to restrict thescoring, especially Cameron Cuffy, and Sachin Tendulkar was againsurprisingly restrained; he did not reach double figures until the14th over but had less than his share of the bowling.Sourav Ganguly (20) was first to go, controversially given out caughtdown the leg side. Cuffy completed his ten overs for just 20 runs,taking one wicket, the next one falling ironically to the erraticWavell Hinds, who had Dinesh Mongia (8) caught at the wicket. RahulDravid began with a sweetly timed drive through midwicket for three,but had added only a single when he unexpectedly came down the pitchto Mahendra Nagamootoo to be ‘gated’ and stumped.Tendulkar on 46 appeared to have a fortunate escape from being givenout caught at the wicket off Hooper. Soon afterwards he reached hisfifty off 86 balls. He then began to open up and the remaining WestIndian hopes disappeared rapidly. Badani scored 27 before he skied areturn catch to Mervyn Dillon, but Virender Shewag (11) stayed withTendulkar (81) until victory was completed without pressure and withmore than six overs to spare.