India clinched a four-run win over Zimbabwe.
© AFP
India have improved their win-loss record to 46-10 vs Zimbabwe with a thrilling win in the first ODI in Harare. Catch all the highlights. (SCORECARD/SCHEDULE)
(All times in IST)
20:36: Ambati Rayudu: It was very tough to bat in the morning. I knew that one had to bat through and I am happy that I took the responsibility. I was constantly telling (Stuart) Binny to hold back because we couldn't lose wickets at that stage. He batted brilliantly. Contributing to the team is more important than scoring a hundred.
20:34: Ajinkya Rahane: Very happy with the way we played. (Ambati) Rayudu batted really well, it wasn't easy to bat at the start. They bowled as well. We knew that 255 was a good score and the credit goes to the bowlers as well. Harbhajan Singh was good and so was Axar Patel.
20:32: Elton Chigumbura: It's disappointing to lose a game after working so hard. Hopefully we can turn up good for the next game. We lost wickets in regular intervals and that's what cost us the match. It's always good to score runs and hopefully I can carry on.
20:18: That's that! India edge Zimbabwe by four runs despite Elton Chigumbura's 104 not out. Match goes down the wire but Bhuvneshwar Kumar keeps his cool in the final over to save India from an upset.
20:11: Graeme Cremer departs for 27. Zimbabwe need 10 off 6 balls.
20:06: CENTURY! Elton Chigumbura reaches his second hundred off 96 balls. Zimbabwe need 14 off 9 balls.
File photo of Elton Chigumbura.
© AFP
19:56: Elton Chigumbura hits Dhawal Kulkarbi for 13 runs in the the 47th over. Zimbabwe need 32 runs off 18 balls.
19:39: Elton Chigumbura is keeping Zimbabwe's hopes alive. Has added 42 runs for the seventh wicket with Graeme Cremer. They now require 54 off 36 balls.
19:22: Elton Chigumbura reaches his 19th half-century. He took 65 balls to reach the landmark with four fours.
File photo of Stuart Binny.
© AP
19:17: WICKET! Stuart Binny returns to action and strikes. Richmond Mutumbami departs for 7. Binny bowls a shortish ball on middle and off, Mutumbami looks to flick this away but is early into his shot and as a result he ends up getting a leading edge. Harbhajan Singh runs towards his right to take a good catch at mid off.
19:09: England have lost their third wicket. Nathan Lyon removes Adam Lyth. Follow live scores here
18:51: WICKET! Harbhajan Singh removes Sikandar Raza for 37. Harbhajan bowls a short ball and Raza plays a half-hearted pull to mid wicket. Axar Patel runs in, dives forward and takes a splendid catch.
18:48: Sikandar Raza has takes the attack back to the bowlers. Elton Chigumbura and Raza have put on 44 runs for the fourth wicket.
18:20: WICKET! Axar Patel is the man on fire, gets Sean Williams for a duck to pick his second wicket. It was a tossed up ball around off, Sean Williams strides onto his front foot and looks to drive it but the ball spins in and sneaks in through his bat and pad. The ball hits the top of his stump.
18:14: WICKET! Axar Patel gets Hamilton Masakadza for 34 runs. Loopy ball around off, Masakadza camps back and looks to flick it but the ball spins away which ultimately results in him getting a leading edge. The ball pops straight towards point. Manoj Tiwary takes a dolly to send Masakadza back.
File photo of Hamilton Masakadza.
© Getty Images
18:00: Hamilton Masakadza keeps Zimbabwe chase on track. Masakadza and Elton Chigumbura have added 30 runs so far for the third wicket.
17:50: Ashes: it's lunch time in Cardiff, England 21/1 in 9 overs lead Australia by 143 runs. Follow live scores here
17:39: Stuart Binny strikes to remove Vusi Sibanda. Binny bowls a short ball, Sibanda attempts pull but ends up mistiming it to Harbhajan Singh at mid on.
17:36: In Mirpur, South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada has just picked up a hat-trick against Bangladesh in first ODI. Tamim Iqbal, Litton Das and Mahmudullah all gone for duck. Catch alllive scores the match here
17:29: Powerplay 2: Four fielders are allowed outside the circle in overs 11-40.
17:23: STAT! Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny were involved in India's highest sixth-wicket stand of 160 runs, surpassing MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh's 158 against Zimbabwe in 2005.
File photo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
© BCCI
17:07: WICKET! Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes early. Chamu Chibhabha chases an outswinging delivery, gets a thick outside edge to Ajinkya Rahane, who takes a good catch at second slip.
17:00: Meanwhile, in Ashes. Australia have been bowled out for 308, with England having a massive 122-run lead. James Anderson picked up three wickets. Follow live scores here
16:57: Powerplay 1: Only two fielders are allowed outside the circle in overs 1-10.
16:50: Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha are out in the middle. Bhuvneshwar Kumar opens the bowling attack.
16:08 (IST): That's it! Ambati Rayudu guides India to a respectable 255/6 against Zimbabwe. After India were reduced to 87 for five, Rayudu and Stuart Binny (77) put on 160 runs for the sixth wicket to take the team to a fighting total. Rayudu hit his second century, Binny struck his maiden fifty. Chamu Chibhabha, Donald Tiripano picked up two wickets each.
16:02: WICKET! Stuart Binny falls after scoring 77 off 76 balls. He goes across and swings but ends up getting an outside edge to keeper.
File photo of Ambati Rayudu.
© AFP
15:40: CENTURY! Ambati Rayudu scores his second hundred. He took 117 balls to reach the feat with 10 fours and a massive six.
15:37: FIFTY! Stuart Binny brings up his maiden half-century.
15:30: Stuart Binny reaches his career-best score of 47 not out. Can he score his maiden fifty?
15:08: FIFTY PARTNERSHIP! That's second fifty stand for India. Ambati Rayudu and free-scoring Stuart Binny have revived India.
15:02: DROPPED! Ambati Rayudu is dropped on 62 by kepeer Mutumbami off Sean Williams.
Ambati Rayudu brings up his sixth ODI fifty.
© AFP
14:44: FIFTY! Ambati Rayudu reaches his sixth half-century. He took 72 balls with six fours to reach the landmark.
14:32: WICKET! Kedar Jadhav is back to pavilion and it's been a poor outing for India so far. Jadhav chases a widish delivery but ends up getting an under edge to keeper Mutumbami. That's second wicket for Chibhabha. Stuart Binny joins Ambati Rayudu.
14:18: WICKET! Robin Uthappa wastes his chance as he is run out for a duck. He plays with soft hands to mid off and calls for single. But Sikandar Raza was quick to pick the ball and fire a direct hit. That's poor from Uthappa.
14:10: WICKET! Manoj Tiwary falls for just two. Chamu Chibhabha gets his man as he traps Tiwary plumb in front. India in deep deep trouble!
13:55: WICKET! That's a massive wicket for Zimbabwe and India are in trouble now. Ajinkya Rahane departs for 34. Rahane edges a rising delivery and Hamilton Masakadza takes a sharp catch at first slip. Donald Tiripano gets the big wicket. Manoj Tiwary is the new man in.
13:44: Drinks are on the field. Rahane and Rayudu have added 45 runs for the second wicket. India need to up the ante now.
13:27: Ambati Rayudu survives run-out chance. Rayudu plays it square of the wicket and calls for two. Throw was accurate but Rayudu was quick enough to beat that.
13:17: Rahane and Rayudu have added 23 runs for the second wicket.
13:02: Ajinkya Rahane scores his first four and this will give him some confidence. India need many more of these from their captain.
12:49: WICKET! Murali Vijay has to make a long way back. Brian Vitori bowls slightly a widish delivery and Vijay reaches to play it but ends up edging it to Vusi Sibanda at second slip. He would have left that ball had been a Test match. It's been a poor start for India. Ambati Rayudu joins Rahane.
12:44: India are off to a cautious start. Umpire turns down a leg before appeal by Panyangara against Rahane.
12:35: Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay are out in the middle.Tinashe Panyangara opens the bowling attack.
12:20: Zimbabwe Team: Sikandar Raza, Sibanda, Masakadza, Chibhabha, Chigumbura, Williams, Mutumbami, Cremer, Tiripano, Vitori, Panyangara
India Team: Rahane*, Vijay, Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Uthappa, Kedar Jadhav, Binny, Axar, Harbhajan Singh, B Kumar, Kulkarni
12:00: Zimbabwe win the toss and elect to bowl against India. Harbhajan Singh returns to Indian ODI side.
We are confident that we will do well: Rahane
© AFP
PREVIEW
Ajinkya Rahane is leading a team of India hopefuls on an African safari. Zimbabwe may not be the strongest of opponents but the importance of an away series against them is not lost on India's fringe players who are keen to make the most of the opportunity in absence of their seniors. The new ODI rules will also make the teams thinking extra hard. (Fringe Players Hope to Shine for India)
The Africans are nine places lower than India in the ODI rankings but for someone like Robin Uthappa, who is expected to keep wicket in Dhoni's absence, the series is precisely what he had been waiting for. (Rahane Wary of Zimbabwe Threat)
"I am really grateful that I have finally got a whole series to play than just one or two games a year," Uthappa, who played the last of his 43 ODIs late last year, said before the team left Mumbai on Monday. "I want to make the most of it and want to consolidate my spot in the side." (Zimbabwe Recall Waller for India Series)
For India's regular Test opener Murali Vijay too, the series presents an opportunity to stake his claim for ODI inclusion. The 31-year-old right-hander last played an ODI for India two years back and the last of his seven T20 international in January, 2011.
Rahane said he was happy to have Harbhajan back in the side.
© PTI
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who played the last of his 229 one-dayers in June 2011, will also be keen to do well in the series, having lost the number one spinner's place to Ravichandran Ashwin, who has also been rested.
Not only the players, India have to dourly defend their No. 2 ODI ranking and it won't come easy. India must all the three ODIs to retain the position. Zimbabwe are ranked 11th but cannot be looked as pushovers.
Zimbabwe coach Dav Whatmore is good enough to read the strengths and weaknesses of the Indian players. The home team recalled Malcolm Waller as they made four changes in their squad that last played in Pakistan. Elton Chigumbura, Sikandar Raza and Hamilton Masakadza are fairly well-known in international cricket.
"In terms of balance, we have opted for nine batters, four seamers and two specialist spinners and our objective is to try and win the series. India have picked a strong side and we are taking them seriously," outgoing convener of selectors Givemore Makoni said.
This will also be the first match under the new ODI playing conditions. There will be no compulsory close catchers in the first 10 overs and no batting Powerplay. Five fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle in the last 10 overs of an innings and there will be Free Hits for all no-balls. So, it won't be a batsman's party after all.
Toss is at 12 noon IST.
ZIM XI: Raza, Sibanda, Masakadza, Chibhabha, Chigumbura, Williams, Mutumbami, Cremer, Tiripano, Vitori, Panyangara http://sports.ndtv.com/zimbabwe-vs-india-2015/news/245301-live-score-ind-vs-zim-india-vs-zimbabwe-1st-odi-in-harare
LIVE SCORE: BANGLADESH VS SOUTH AFRICA
0
1
4
0
4
1
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
6
0
4
4
2
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
2
0
4
0
0
0
2
0
1
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
lb
0
0
1
wd
4
0
1
1
0
1
2
1
0
1
1
2
1
1
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
lb
1
4
1
0
0
1
0
2
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
W
1
4
0
1
0
4
1
1
4
4
0
4
0
0
1