Agarkar's blitzkrieg lays Zimbabwe low

By G. Viswanath

RAJKOT, DEC. 14. Ajit Agarkar played a consequential role, both with the bat and ball, against Zimbabwe to set up an Indian win (by 39 runs) against Zimbabwe in the fifth and final one-dayer here at the Rajkot Municipal Corporation stadium.

Six days ago he reached a landmark, notching his 100th wicket in one-day internationals. That feat went almost unnoticed, but his four-wicket spell at the Green Park, Kanpur, got deserving praise. Here it was the big blows with the bat that enthralled those who had been waiting patiently to see him doing just that for some 33 months.

Agarkar made batting look so simple; hitting the ball hard and long to many parts of the field. It was explosive batting for exactly 30 minutes before lunch. It was just apt that he finished India's innings with two sixes: the fifth ball of the 50th over from Alistair Campbell was sent over mid wicket and the last over square leg.

He had taken strike after Reetinder Singh Sodhi had faced 54 balls, but in a terrific show of blitz he was the first one to reach his half century (his first) in 21 balls, which lowered the 17-year-old record held by Kapil Dev (fastest 50 off 22 balls against West Indies at Berbice in 1983).

Until Agarkar's arrival India, put in to bat, was down on the mat at 43 for three (Tendulkar's dismissal) and 84 for four (Yuveraj Singh). At the half-way stage it was palpably struggling at 114 for five with the innings in the hands of the seemingly ever- reliable Hemang Badani and Sodhi.

To Badani, the situation was nothing new. He had earned his spurs winning the first one-day international at Barabati, scoring 58 when chasing. On Thursday, he came in to bat at the fall of stand-in captain Rahul Dravid (23 for two). The tall left hander has by now conveyed the impression that he has steady hands and raised in the maidans of Chennai as a traditional Test match batsman, he is not one to play to the gallery. The opposite seems to be the case with Yuveraj Singh, whose scores after his dashing knock against Australia in the ICC knock out tournament in Nairobi are very poor. Not a single batsman has survived international cricket playing a shot of every ball.

Badani has almost established himself in the team for one-dayers and will now strive to force his way into the Test side. While things are looking up for him, another left hander and Tamil Nadu mate, Sridharan Sriram, seems to be courting disaster. In Sourav Ganguly's absence he got a chance to open the innings with Tendulkar but he made a mess of it. Trying to `sneak' a shot to the left of wicketkeeper Andrew Flower, he gave a regulation catch, having met the ball that was climbing outside the off stump.

With Ganguly not playing more responsibility lay on Tendulkar and Dravid. But both got out by the 13th over after a stand of 33. Dravid holed out to Streak at extra cover while Tendulkar dragged the ball back on to his stumps to give Mkuleli Nkala a wicket in his very first over. Yuveraj then joined Badani and showed that he was in the mood to challenge Nkala, who had gained some reputation as a batsman by winning the match for Zimbabwe at Jodhpur.

Yuveraj hit five boundaries off Nkala, playing perhaps all the shots in the book: the pull, square drive, cover drive, cut and on drive. But then he got carried away essaying a shot across the line. Umpire Amrish Saheba, standing in his first international, favoured leg spinner Brian Murphy's appeal. The next batsman in, Virender Sehwag lifted a straight six off Murphy, survived a line call and immediately played a reckless shot to leave India in a crisis of sorts.

From there Badani and Sodhi made 102 runs off 100 balls, the left hander composed during his near three-hour presence in the middle. He struck only three boundaries in his 93 ball 77 and had to leave the field only because Gavin Rennie brought off a spectacular catch in the deep when Badani tried to clear the mid wicket fence. Sodhi, who was picked only because Zaheer Khan was ailing from a back problem, was inclined to show caution and not throw his bat around.

Their stand, in the context of the game then, might have taken India close to 250, but Agarkar's onslaught on Streak and Nkala gave India a winning total of 301. At the end of the 25th over India was 101 for five, 157 for five after the 35th and 192 for five after the 40th. Sodhi and Agarkar added 73 in the last 30 balls, the latter's four sixes and half a dozen fours taking apart the Zimbabwe attack. Campbell had not sent down a delivery in the previous four matches. He bowled six balls here at a cost of 21 runs!

Trevor Madondo was Zimbabwe's highest scorer. He came good for the second time, thus proving to the team management that their trust on Douglas Marillier was misplaced. He made 32 off 61 balls in Kanpur, but on a flat and a beauty of a pitch he stroked exquisitely and sent the ball to the fence ten times. India's catching was not up to the mark, until Vijay Dahiya, with his heart in his mouth, held the spiraling catch which had come of the top edge of Campbell's pull.

Madondo's brisk rate put Zimbabwe cruising at six plus at the end of the 20th over. Badani took a splendid catch in front of the wicket and then Agarkar produced the biggest breakthrough, forcing Andrew Flower to flick to square leg. It was always going to be an uphill task for Zimbabwe and the Indians, their pride hurt in Jodhpur when they failed to defend 283, were not going to let their rival do it all over again. Eventually Zimbabwe fell short of the target by 39 runs.

Agarkar came back for his second spell, took the wickets of Marillier and Murphy to win the Man of the Match award. Dravid was happy and said, ``Badani and Sodhi laid the foundation and Agarkar won the match in the last five overs.''

``I have a back problem. I am going to take two months rest. I will return for the series against Australia as a bowler and batsman,'' said Ganguly, who was not deprived of the `Man of the Series' award.

Scoreboard

INDIA

S. Sriram c A. Flower b Streak              2
(10m, 8b)
S. Tendulkar b Nkala                       27
(51m, 38b, 5x4s)
R. Dravid c Streak b B. Strang              6
(19m, 16b, 1x4)
H. Badani c Rennie b Murphy                77
(165m, 93b, 2x4s, 1x6)
Yuveraj Singh lbw b Murphy                 29
(33m, 23b, 5x4s)
V. Sehwag c A. Flower b Murphy             19
(20m, 24b, 1x6)
R. S. Sodhi (not out)                      53
(101m, 68b, 3x4s, 1x6)
A. Agarkar (not out)                       67
(30m, 27b, 7x4s, 4x6s)
Extras (b-4, lb-4, w-13)                   21
                                          ---
Total (for six wkts. in 50 overs)         301
                                          ---

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Sriram), 2-23 (Dravid), 3-42  (Tendulkar), 
4-84 (Yuveraj), 5-114 (Sehwag), 6-216 (Badani).

Zimbabwe  bowling: Streak 10-1-45-1, B. Strang 10-0-61- 1,  Nkala 
9-0-62-1, G. Flower 10-0-41-0, Murphy 10-0-63-3, Campbell 1-0-21- 
0.

ZIMBABWE

A. Campbell c Dahiya b Sodhi                23
(25m, 27b, 3x4s, 1x4)
T. Madondo b Sriram                         71
(120m, 70b, 10x4s)
G. Rennie c Badani b Sodhi                  10
(21m, 8b, 1x4)
A. Flower c Sodhi b Agarkar                 19 

(27m, 25b, 2x4s)
G. Flower lbw b Sehwag                      20
(28m, 35b)
G. Whittall c Agarkar b Sehwag              10
(24m, 22b) 
D. Marillier lbw b Agarkar                  38
(42m, 43b, 4x4s)
H. Streak c Dravid b Sriram                 17
(36m, 25b, 1x6)
M. Nkala (not out)                          18
(31m,18b, 1x4)
B. Strang c Yuveraj b Prasad                18
(14m, 12b, 2x4s, 1x6)
B. Murphy b Agarkar                          1
(3m, 3b)
Extras (lb-8, w-5, nb-4)                    17
                                           ---
Total (in 47.4 overs)                      262
                                           ---

Fall  of  wickets:  1-35 (Campbell),  2-68  (Rennie),  3-103  (A. 
Flower), 4-152 (Madondo), 5-156 (G. Flower), 6-180 (G. Whittall), 
7-210 (Marillier), 8-235 (Streak), 9-261 (B. Strang).

India bowling: Prasad 9-0-61-1, Sodhi 6-1-43-2, Agarkar 8.4-1-26-
3, Kapoor 7-0-37-0, Sriram 9-0-50-2, Sehwag 8-0-37-2.

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