India rout Zimbabwe for innings win

Spin scripted another Test win for India at Nagpur in the first of the two-Test series against Zimbabwe. The tourists were flattened by an innings and 101 runs in the morning session of the fifth and final day at the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground, as Anil Kumble claimed his nineteenth five-wicket haul in Tests and with it, the man-of-the-match award.

En route to levelling the Zimbabwean batsmen, Kumble also levelled with the great Caribbean spinner Lance Gibbs with 309 Test wickets.

Kumble bowled the first ball of the last day of the Test, hoping to wrap things up before lunch on a pitch that seemed in a mood to aid that ambition.

Ganguly attacked right from the start, with spin from either end. Harbhajan Singh, wicketless all of yesterday, had nightwatchman Ray Price pushing an easy chance to Rahul Dravid at silly point.

The offie, having tasted blood, hit a roll. Zimbabwe hoped for Grant Flower and overnight not-out Trevor Gripper to mount a rearguard action. Ganguly put five round the bat to make sure that hope died stillborn. And Kumble struck, with the quicker delivery straightening into Grant Flower to get the LBW.

Gripper, at the other end, had held his own for 211 deliveries - but with Harbhajan making the ball talk Greek, the Zimbabwean opener's resistance crumbled, as he pushed a simple catch to substitute fielder Virendra Sehwag in the panoply of close-catchers.

Sehwag, deemed unlucky to miss out on a Test spot here, made up with yet another catch, as keeper Tatenda Taibu failed to read a Harbhajan off break that spat at him (167/8). At this point Harbhajan, who had bowled 21 overs on day four for 38 runs without a wicket to his name, had figures for the session of 7-4-3-3.

Former skipper Heath Streak and Travis Friend, who scored 60 useful runs in the first innings, attempted to fight back. But Kumble got Streak with a brute of a ball that jumped out of the rough to take the involuntary edge through to Ganguly at short gully.

A bemused Watambwa tried to get rid of Harbhajan Singh with a slog, but managed only to top edge the off break high for Tendulkar to hold behind the keeper's back.

India had nailed its first Test win of the year, by an innings and 101 runs. The tourists, who lost their last 6 wickets for just 35 runs, reminded us yet again that as a side, they compete only when top batsman Andy flowers.

Kumble and Harbhajan meanwhile claimed 13 of the 20 wickets on offer - and underlined the fact that in Indian conditions, they constitute a dream pair.

The selectors retained the side for the Delhi Test beginning February 28 - and India, with a tough Caribbean tour including five Tests and five one dayers looming, will be looking to seal it 2-0.

Taking a long range view, it is hard to understand how playing a Test on the pancake-flat Firozeshah Kotla track will help the team prepare to take on the West Indies on their home ground - but such words as 'forethought' and 'planning' are best left in the cupboard.

Scoreboard

Day 4 report:Zimbabwe down in the dumps
Day 3 report:Tendulkar puts India in command
Day 2 report:India crawl to strong position
Day 1 report: Zimbabwe survive late onslaught