Date:01/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/01/stories/2004080106871700.htm

Sport - Cricket

Bahutule leads from the front

NEW DELHI, JULY 31 Captain Sairaj Bahutule led from the front to put India `A' within sniffing distance of its second victory on the tour of Zimbabwe against a Select XI at Harare.

On the second day of the four-day match at Harare Sports Club on Friday, Bahutule shone with the bat with a fine 57 to guide India to 259 in its first innings in reply to the hosts' 152.

Bahutule then took three wickets as the Select XI stared at defeat at 125 for nine in its second innings, just 18 runs ahead with only one wicket remaining.

Resuming at 133 for three, India `A' lost overnight batsmen Rohan Gavaskar (60) and Dinesh Karthik (52) in quick succession to be at 141 for five before Bahutule (57) and M. S. Dhoni (45) added 77 runs for the sixth wicket to take the score past the 200 mark.

A flurry of wickets saw the visitors folding up on 259 in 68.5 overs with strike bowler Tinashe Panyangara returning with fine figures of five for 60.

The Select XI batsmen never appeared comfortable against some good bowling by India `A' which was well served by spinners Bahutule (3-10) and Ramesh Powar (3-33) and seamer S. S. Paul (3-33).

Test player Mark Vermeulen played a lone hand contributing a defiant 40 in the second innings.

The Indians, who won the first match by nine wickets earlier this week, will play the last match on the tour against Zimbabwe `A' from August 5.— PTI