India A dismiss Kenya cheaply
A tidy bowling performance from India A, and some poor shot selection from Kenya, helped the tourists bowl the home side out for 218 on the first day at Mombasam
Cricinfo staff
10-Aug-2007
 |
|
A tidy bowling performance from India A, and some poor shot selection from Kenya, helped the tourists bowl the home side out for 218 on the first day at Mombasa. Kenya came back well before stumps, grabbing the wickets of Niraj Patel and captain Mohammad Kaif to check India's progress.
Kaif's decision to field was backed up by his opening bowlers, Irfan Pathan and Pankaj Singh. Pathan struck first, removing Maurice Ouma leg-before for 2, as the batsman played back to a well pitched-up delivery. Tony Suji did not trouble the scorers, offering no shot to be struck plumb in front of the stumps to Singh. Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner, needed little time to get rid of Alex Obanda, leg-before, although it appeared the ball was going down the leg side. David Obuya (30 from 42 balls) was the fourth to fall, chasing a short delivery down leg from Pathan and nicking into wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat's gloves.
Tanmay Mishra fell to a brilliant catch by Rawat off Rajesh Pawar's left-arm spin to make it 84 for 5. Jimmy Kamande, having scored 24 in a 43-run sixth-wicket stand with his captain Thomas Odoyo, was undone by Ojha's spin.
Kenya went into tea on 183 for 7. After the interval, India got the vital wicket of Odoyo (51 from 108 balls), who mistimed a pull off Pathan and under-edged the finest of chance to Rawat. Nehemiah Odhiambo was given a life on 25 when Ojha, fielding in the covers, dropped a simple catch, and progressed to 41 by sweeping the spinners well. Singh, who troubled the Kenyans with his variation, forced Odhiambo to drive a slower one loosely to Pathan in the covers and then bowled Lameck Onyango for a duck with one that stayed low. Pathan (3 for 57), Singh (3 for 35) and Ojha (3 for 54) took the bowling honours.
Defending a small first-innings total, Odhiambo came out and hustled two wickets in no time. Patel was first to fall, sharply taken by Suji at silly mid-on while Kaif, second ball, was forced to play at a peach of a delivery that swung away, and edged to Ouma behind the stumps for just 4.
Kenya should have had three wickets, but Parthiv Patel was dropped on nought by Ondongo down on the fine-leg boundary. Patel finished the day unbeaten on 19 from 39 balls, and with him was Pathan, on 4.