Defensive India fail to capitalise on vital breakthroughs

Having lost the toss, Sourav Ganguly was forced to take the field on the first day of the first Test in New Delhi. Although the toss was not a bad one to lose, if India had batted first, they might have managed to secure more of a psychological edge than was achieved at the end of one day's bowling. However, it must be said that the healthy crowd present at the Ferozeshah Kotla had enough to cheer about as India restricted Zimbabwe to 232/5 at stumps.

Earlier, an energetic spell of fast bowling from Javagal Srinath reduced the visitors to 15/2. Scalping openers Grant Flower (0) and Gavin Rennie (13) in quick succession, Srinath got the momentum going in India's favour. A quick delivery, slanting in to Grant Flower saw him shoulder arms and lose the bails. Rennie edged the ball soon after to Vijay Dahiya and the visitors were in trouble. Alistair Campbell, who has already made a century in this tour, was forced to consolidate Zimbabwe's position. For company he had Stuart Carlisle.

The pair took Zimbabwe safely through to lunch at 62/2. After putting on a 120-run partnership that defied the Indian spinners and seamers alike Carlisle succumbed. Driving hard at a Sachin Tendulkar delivery that stopped on him, Carlisle found the hands of Sunil Joshi at cover. Carlisle's patient knock saw Zimbabwe out of the woods, but by no means gave them the kind of start they would have been looking for. Occupying the crease for over three hours, Carlisle struck ten boundaries in his innings of 58.

Alistair Campbell had to then shoulder most of the responsibility and he had for company Andy Flower. Easily the top two batsmen in the Zimbabwe line up, the Campbell-Andy Flower duo teamed up again. Unfortunately for the visitors, their association did not last long. After making a crucial contribution with his 70, Campbell chased a Srinath delivery and only managed to nick the ball. VVS Laxman, safe as ever in the slip cordon held a good catch and Zimbabwe were once again in trouble at 154/4. If they looked to Guy Whittall to help stem the rot, they had cause to be disappointed. Attempting to sweep Joshi against the spin, Whittall misjudged the length of the delivery. The ball ricocheted off something, perhaps the glove, perhaps the forearm and Rahul Dravid appealed after taking a smart catch. Umpire Venkataraghavan's lethal forefinger, once used to deliver quality off spinners, went up and Whittall was on his way. He picked up the second duck of the Zimbabwe innings.

At 155/5 the Zimbabweans were in a very difficult position. A couple of quick wickets and things would be all but over for them. Skipper Heath Streak, who has been enjoying his batting so much more after being handed the captaincy, walked out to the middle with a lot depending on him. Batting with confidence, Streak proved the ideal foil for the stoic Andy Flower. While Streak used the full face of the bat to play the bowlers back in the 'V' Andy Flower swept his way to a good half century. Not afraid to improvise even in a Test match, Andy Flower unveiled the reverse sweep and kept the spinners at bay. When stumps was called, Zimbabwe were on a healthy score. Flower had 55 to his name while Streak was on a useful 25.

India's decision to go into the match with only four bowlers was telling. Although India made inroads into the Zimbabwe batting, they were not able to capitalise. Murali Kartik was once again underused. This meant that India were playing with three and half bowlers. Having got Zimbabwe in trouble first at 15/2 and then at 155/5, India let the visitors off the hook. When the Zimbabweans resume their resistance tomorrow they will do so with the confidence that their position could have been much, much worse.