India in command

India piled on the agony against a Zimbabwe Academy XI by ending the second day on Sunday at 15 without loss in their second innings after dismissing the home team for 192.

Instead of enforcing the follow-on, India chose to bat again and gain some valuable time in the middle ahead of the first test against Zimbabwe starting in Bulawayo next Thursday.

India resumed the day at 370 for three in their first innings and added a further 77 runs for the loss of just one wicket before declaring on 447 for four.

The Academy could only claim one genuine wicket in the innings while the other three all came from the batsman retiring out.

Shiv Sunder Das (110) and Vangipurappu Laxman (100) retired on Saturday while captain Sourav Ganguly ended his innings when he reached 53 in the morning.

Hermang Badani was not out on 112 when the declaration came with Sairag Bahutule undefeated on seven.

The Academy were soon reeling at 47 for four and then 78 for eight before a spirited 77-run stand between Gary Brent and Wisdom Siziba added a measure of respectability to the total.

Brent batted fluidly for an undefeated 72, his highest first class score.

The nagging turn of Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was a constant threat and unnerved the oppositions as he finished with figures of four for 43 from 18.1 overs.

The rest of the wickets were shared around evenly with left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan claiming two for 37 and leg-spinner Bahutule two for 41 in ten overs.

Badani (6) and Sadagoppan Ramesh (7) will resume the innings on Monday.

Mail Cricket Editor