All-rounders Heath Streak and Sean Ervine helped Zimbabwe achieve a respectable total after the team’s other batsmen failed against India in a triangular one-day cricket match at Bellerive Oval on Wednesday.
With India’s spinners on top at the 40-over mark, captain Streak (59 not out) and Ervine (48 not out) hit 68 runs off the last seven overs. The pair’s unbeaten 93-run stand took Zimbabwe to 208-6 from its 50 overs after Streak won the toss and batted.
Ervine clubbed three sixes in his 33-ball innings, including two in succession over long-on off Ajit Agarkar.
Zimbabwe’s comeback was a good one after its top order failed.
While the wickets remained intact early, Zimbabwe struggled at barely three runs an over for the first half of the innings.
Agarkar and Irfan Pathan kept the top order tied down before Indian spinners Anil Kumble, Virender Sehwag and Hemang Badani held Zimbabwe’s total down in the middle overs.
Kumble took 1-38 from 10 overs, Sehwag 2-40 from 10 and Badani 1-31 from seven.
Streak, who made 46 in his side’s opening match, found an ally in Ervine, who was destined for one of his country’s quickest half-centuries in one-day cricket but could not score off Pathan’s final two deliveries of the innings.
Stuart Carlisle (36) held Zimbabwe’s innings together early before he was adjudged lbw to a Sehwag delivery that looked like it was missing leg stump. – Sapa-AP