Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly: A grand opening stand
India emerged winners over West Indies by six wickets in the last
league match in the triangular series for the Coca Cola Cup played at
the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday. The match had the least significance,
given the fact that both the teams had qualified for the Saturday's
final at the expense of Zimbabwe. India were set a target of 230 runs
to be made in 50 overs.
On a good batting wicket and without the services of the tall Cameron
Cuffy, West Indies struggled to contain the two Indian openers. Reon
King was quite unlucky not to have dismissed Ganguly with the very first
ball, Jacobs failing to grab the tough chance down the leg side. King
was blasted for 29 runs from his first spell of three overs, Tendulkar
smashing four boundaries and Ganguly accounting for three. Mervyn
Dillon who was bowling an excellent line and length, erred for once,
and the short-pitched delivery was dealt with a hook shot by Tendulkar,
which cleared the ropes at long leg.
Runs kept flowing at a fast pace as King's replacement, Colin Stuart,
went for 19 runs in his first two overs; both the batsmen helping
themselves to a couple of boundaries each. India had raced to 64 for
no loss by the end of the ninth over. There was a lull in the scoring
as the Indian openers scored just two runs in the following five overs,
Dillon and McGarrell applying the brakes. Ganguly broke the sequence with
a lofted drive off McGarrell to the long on fence and the signs were
becoming ominous for the Windies. Ganguly was getting back in form!
The two batsmen complimented each other and kept the scoreboard
moving. Ganguly, though not completely in full rhythm, smacked
boundaries to ease the pressure that kept building on him.
The 100-run partnership was brought up in 22.2 overs when Tendulkar
swept McGarrell to square leg for a single. The next ball
was a flighted one on leg and middle, Ganguly danced down
the track and sent it high and soaring over long on for a massive six.
The left-arm spinner dropped the following ball short, Ganguly's eyes lit
up and he cracked a powerful square cut for four.
Ganguly reached his fifty in the 25th over bowled by McGarrell, the
half century coming from 80 balls. Ganguly danced down the track and
lofted McGarrell for two more boundaries, one over mid-wicket and the
other over long off, the ball bouncing once before clearing the ropes
on both the occasions. In the following over, Ganguly slashed Dillon
over point for a four. Off the last ball of the same over, the spirit of
adventure got the better of Ganguly. Misjudging the slower ball, he lobbed
an easy catch to Daren Ganga at mid off.
The opening stand between Ganguly and Tendulkar yielded 133 runs from
exactly 26 overs, paving the way for a fourth successive win for India
in the tournament. Ganguly made 62 runs off 87 balls with the help of
10 boundaries and a six. Tendulkar's contribution in the match winning
partnership was 66 runs off 70 balls with the help of eight boundaries
and a six. Ganguly and Tendulkar take the honours for their match winning
partnership.
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