Nehra makes up for batting eclipse

By Vijay Lokapally

HARARE, JUNE 15. The solar eclipse is some days away but the Indian dressing room viewed one this afternoon when its batting stood exposed against the Zimbabweans. This was much before Ashish Nehra bowled the team back into the game.

It could have been acutely embarrassing for India but for Rahul Dravid, Shiv Sundar Das and Harbhajan Singh showing the will to stay at the crease as India reached 237. And then Nehra, the best bowler thus far on the tour but not picked for the one- day series, rattled the Zimbabweans with a sensational spell which erased the poor batting memories of the day to some extent.

Zimbabwe finished the day at a miserable 31 for three, a position which was quite flattering for Sourav Ganguly and his men even though the Indians could draw satisfaction from a few factors.

A different Dravid

Dravid was refreshingly strokeful and a joy to watch; Das was solid as he can be and Harbhajan a packet of dynamite, really, with his sensational shots square of the wicket. If India managed to prevent Zimbabwe from completely dominating the opening day of the second Test here it was mainly due to Dravid and Das lending some quality to the innings.

From the time he arrived, Dravid showed the intention to get on with the game. He was not going to get into any defensive mode and played some glorious drives in front of the wicket. His 19th half century in Tests was marked by a daring approach which boosted the spirits of the Indian camp.

It was a shabby performance otherwise by the Indians against an attack which was depleted in the early part when Brighton Watambwa limped off the field with a hamstring injury. It was a blow to the Zimbabwean hopes even as some of the Indians might have felt relieved at the sight. Watambwa had looked the best bowler in the morning.

There was a bit of bounce and some seam movement for the bowlers but it was far from causing any discomfort to the batsmen, provided they were willing to slug it out. The rich Indian batting line-up, so formidable on paper, looked so average this morning when Zimbabwe tasted one success after another. And not always from good bowling.

The Indian team management's move to promote Badani as opener failed to click when the left-hander, making his debut, played across the line and presented Watambwa with an encouraging start. It was just the first of a series of dismissals which showed the Indian batting in extremely poor light.

For someone like V.V.S. Laxman, the experience today was a lesson indeed. The ball moved but not his feet and it was an ungainly dismissal of this stylish Hyderabadi, edging the ball to third slip. Coach John Wright must now be thinking of working with Laxman too.

Das grows in confidence

All this while, Das demonstrated the right approach. He batted like a seasoned opener and was the saving grace for a team which seemed to have lost direction on the first day of the match itself. Das has grown into a confident batsman on this tour and his assured essay this day was a confirmation of his potential. Whether attacking or defending, Das was a picture of solidity.

A batsman worthy of greater deeds, Das carried the innings on his young shoulders and stepped into a higher league with a neat half century. He can be relied upon to bat positively and sensibly. This morning, there was a lot of purpose in Das' approach, putting the bad ball away and showing it respect when it deserved. The temperament which Das showed should have served as an example for the middle order but the batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar excluded, played with utter indiscipline.

Tendulkar took time to settle and played a few rasping strokes before Zimbabwe earned a lucky breakthrough when he was bowled off the thigh pad. An unusual way to get out but the Zimbabweans were least concerned. They had removed the biggest obstacle.

Soon came the next success and this time it took a good ball to get rid of a decent batsman. Das was committed to playing the ball which moved a shade and kissed the edge of the bat on way to the keeper. Das' first flaw had cost him his wicket but the opener had played his part well. It was his confident stay at the wicket that really saved the day for the Indians.

Ganguly's poor form continued to haunt him. There was a distinct effort by the Indian captain to hang in but then he played a poor shot to embrace disaster - guiding the ball to third slip in a most clumsy manner. It's time Ganguly had some runs against his name in any form of cricket to silence his growing critics.

Sameer Dighe paid the price for being indiscreet against a moving ball while Ajit Agarkar did little to justify his `batting' potential, fending the ball to slips. The Indian innings was in disarray when Harbhajan arrived to blast the attack. It was the best phase of the Indian innings before it ended in a heap, the run out decision of Srinath by third umpire G. Evans being the sore point.

Thirteen wickets on the opening day made for an eventful day with bowlers enjoying their domination all the way.

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