India escape to victory

The headline could well have read 'Umpires seal win for India'. Such was the abysmal standard of umpiring in the second Test at Delhi which India eventually won on the fifth day by four wickets chasing 122 runs and with it sealed a 2-0 series win over Zimbabwe.

The frailty of the famous Indian batting strength was once again on full display with none of the stars putting their hand up to finish the game on their own.

The manner of victory reasserts the thoughts of Indian coach John Wright when he says that the Indian team is the most entertaining team in the world but also the most inconsistent. He emphasised that the team needed to put efficiency ahead of style.

The run-chase:

One could pass it off as a mere coincidence or maybe just ignore it. One of the world's greatest batsmen was literally dodging a rookie left-arm spinner.

Sachin Tendulkar batted for almost an hour on the fifth morning without letting left armer Ray Price, bowling unchanged since morning, having a go at him.

When Price did finally bowl to the little master after an hour he won the mêlée hands down having Sachin trapped LBW yet again in the Test and claiming his wicket for the third time in the series.

Was it deliberate? Did the tormenting spell the left-arm spinner bowled to Sachin in the first innings force the game plan to let SS Das handle Price?

It was astonishing to see the way the Indians handled Ray Price with over-caution and uncertainty. This was the same batting line-up that made Shane Warne look pedestrian.

Indians started their run-chase in an aggressive fashion this morning with 14 runs of two overs from left arm spinner Grant Flower by Sachin Tendulkar, unshackling the fears of a middle-order collapse.

Sachin drove Flower through the covers and followed it up with a crisp square cut off a ball short of length forcing medium-pacer Heath Streak to replace Grant Flower. The shot of the morning came from the bat of Sachin when he rocked onto the back foot and blasted Grant Flower over the mid-wicket fence for maximum.

Tendulkar having decided that the best way to release the pressure would be to score quickly and reduce the chase to a mere formality, went after the bowling though clinically avoiding the wily Ray Price from having a go at him.

And then the drama unfolded with Sachin having faced three balls from Price tried to sweep the fourth delivery that pitched on off stump and straightened, thumping his front pad. With India 93/4, still 29 runs short of the target, Zimbabwe smelt a slim chance of victory.

The crucial partnership between Tendulkar and Das of 57 runs seemed to have sealed an easy win for India but the task was still incomplete.

Shiv Sunder Das having played the anchor role to perfection compiling a sedate 31 lost his wicket to Streak trapped in front; the ball though seemed to be going down leg-side. India at 103/5 were still 19 runs short of the target.

Vice-captain Rahul Dravid departed 2 runs later edging to Andy Flower at gully for six prodding at a Price delivery and India's victory chances were far from guaranteed.

With Virendra Sehwag unable to bat due to the shoulder injury, it was left to Sanjay Bangar and Harbhajan Singh to see India through.

Umpire Asoka DeSilva turned down an LBW appeal when Streak struck Harbhajan Singh plumb in front with 14 runs still required for a win. To add to Zimbabwe's misery the ball having deflected off the batsman's pad travelled to the third-man fence for four leg byes.

It was difficult to comprehend whether the Sri Lankan umpire had more umpiring errors or keeper Dasgupta had dropped more catches in the game.

Ray Price spitting venom at the batsmen had two close LBW appeals turned down by umpire Jayaprakash of the next over.

The tension peaked when a run-out chance was missed by Zimbabwe. Harbhajan played the ball to cover and found Bangar halfway down the pitch. Travis Friend threw the ball wide of the stumps and a bad backing-up saw the ball race away to the fence for four.

Harbhajan standing a good two feet outside the crease scooped one over the cover fielder missing the cover fielder's fingers by millimetres for four. India needed a further 2 runs to clinch the match.

Harbhajan provided an encore scoring the winning runs for India and bailing them out like he had a year ago against the Australians smashing a straight six over bowler Streak's head.

A 2-0 series win seemed handsome enough for India though the moral victory was Zimbabwe's. With a team depending entirely on a single batsman (Andy Flower) the tourists exhibited what team spirit and the 'never-say-die attitude' could achieve in the sport. The overrated Indian batting had neither the gall nor the attitude to prevail under pressure.

"Australians don't define their players as talented or hard working. They differentiate them as tough and soft players. That's a culture we should imbibe," said John Wright before the start of the Test series.

Earlier reports:
Day 1: Ebrahim, Andy Flower prop Zimbabwe
Day 2: Zimbabwe take honours
Day 3: Ganguly, Sehwag on song
Day 4: Zimbabwe fightback as India chase victory

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