Zimbabwe lose one-dayer

Zimbabwe A made a better fist of their one-day encounter against India A at Harare, but they still lost, going down by 33 runs after India A scored 249 for 9 in their 50 overs. Brendan Taylor, who bowls part-time offspin, pegged India A back with five lower-order wickets after half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir and Aakash Chopra had set the platform for a huge total. In reply, Zimbabwe were never really in the hunt, losing wickets regularly, and despite an unbeaten 51 from Mluleki Nkala, they managed only 216 for 8.

Earlier, Tatenda Taibu won the toss and decided to put India A in, and the move seemed to have paid off when Mahendra Dhoni was caught by Justice Chibhabha off the bowling of Tinashe Panyangara for just a single (24 for 1). However, Gambhir (72) and Chopra (53) steadied India with an 86-run partnership, before Gambhir was caught by Graeme Cremer, the substitute fielder, off Panyangara (110 for 2).

Chopra and Rohan Gavaskar added a further 52 to set a platform from which India could have built an imposing total, but Zimbabwe fought back with regular wickets which slowed the scoring rate. Both batsmen fell to run-outs, and Taylor then skittled the lower order, taking 5 for 28 from 8 overs. Dheeraj Jadhav held the innings together with an unbeaten 23 from No. 8, but Zimbabwe will have felt they had a chance for a morale-boosting victory after such a promising fight-back.

However, the inexperience in Zimbabwe's batting order was soon exposed, with Taylor falling to Shib Paul's medium pace for just 6 (36 for 1). Vusi Sibanda and Stuart Matsikenyeri temporarily consolidated, but after Matsikenyeri was stumped for 20 (72 for 2), the middle order folded. Sridharan Sriram picked up three miserly wickets, including that of Taibu for just 5, and Zimbabwe collapsed to 115 for 7 before they were rescued by a 68-run partnership between Nkala and Panyangara. Panyangara was eventually bowled by Amit Bhandari for 37 (183 for 8), but Nkala reached his half-century just before he ran out of overs.

The two sides will meet in a four-day match next weekend, the last of India A's tour, but anything other than another resounding win for India will be a big surprise.