Ganguly, Dravid Steer India Into Final

Saurav Ganguly finally shrugged off his poor form and powered India to acomfortable four-wicket win against Zimbabwe in the Coca Cola Cup here today.

Ganguly worked hard for his 85 runs and looked very determined to end therun-drought that has haunted him and the team for the last two series. He shouldhave got his century but for an ambitious shot off Grant Flower that was caughtby Alistair Campbell at the mid-wicket fence.

As Ganguly concentrated hard to get his timing and placements right, he gotfine fine assistance from his deputy Rahul Dravid, who remained unbeaten on 72,as India went past Zimbabwe's 234 for six with four balls to spare.

Earlier, India squandered an initial advantage and allowed Zimbabwe to post ahealthy total conceding as many as 85 runs in the last ten overs. Ganguly calledthe coin correctly for the second time in row and promptly put Zimbabwe in tobat and Zaheer Khan proved the decision correct by dismissing two
batsmen in his first over, the second of the innings.

The spotlight was focussed on Ganguly throughout as the Indian captainconcentrated hard and assiduously avoided balls outside the off-stump, hisnemesis on so many occasions recently

It helped his - and his team's - cause that his partners, first Dinesh Mongiaand then Rahul Dravid, settled down quickly and kept the scoreboard moving afterSachin Tendulkar had been dismissed cheaply. Mongia's and Dravid's fluency tookthe pressure off Ganguly who in the meanwhile grew confident with every run hescored.

Ganguly started with two fours but got into the shell after that as thebowlers tested him with outgoing deliveries. Tendulkar, who looked off-colourtoday and took 27 balls for his nine runs, got out when he failed to judge aslower ball from Bryan Strang and gave a simple catch to Grant Flower.

Ganguly's problems would have been compounded had Mongia, promoted to come atnumber three, not got his rhythm going quickly. But the Punjab youngster, whohad not quite played to his potential in his earlier matches, seized theinitiative and played a few fine shots. A few boundaries gave him a lot ofconfidence and the breathing space to Ganguly who wasn't able to middle the balldespite playing nearly 50 deliveries.

Mongia drove Travis Friend through the off-side for his third four and hitDavid Mutendera behind the point region for another boundary. The duo raised 69runs for the second wicket before Mongia's innings was cut short by a fine catchby Guy Whittall in the covers, again on a slower delivery this time by Mutendera.

Dravid was in brilliant touch and started working the ball into the gapsright from the very first delivery he faced. He also hit a few sweetly timedfours including a couple of pulls to keep India on course of the asking rate.

Ganguly, in the meanwhile, was looking much better and starting to get thesingles. His third four, a pull shot off a short ball from Travis Friend in the23rd over, gave him a lot of confidence and he looked to open up a bit. 

Dravid was in terrific form, scoring at over run-a-ball without actuallytaking any risks. All his shots were clean
hits and placed perfectly into the gaps. His straight drive off Friend for afour in the 35th over was a copybook shot and he hit pulled the bowler two ballslater for another boundary.

Ganguly's fifth four, a smashing straight drive off Guy Whittall in the 34thover brought up his fifty, off 95 balls,
and the captain celebrated it by going over the top in the same over for a six.He looked more like himself after that and was able to find the gaps withgreater regularity. He avoided risks preferring grounded shots even against theslow bowlers and looked set to convert the advantage into a big hundred.

But, probably just to prove that he was back to his usual touch, he couldn'tresist the temptation of stepping out to the spinner. He was unable to time hisshot against Grant Flower properly and Campbell took a well-judged catch withininches of the boundary line. Ganguly's pain-staking innings came off 125 ballsand contained eight fours and a six.

The dismissal of Ganguly effected a mini-collapse with Flower removing HemangBadani and Virendra Sehwag in quick succession to reduce India to 193 for fivein the 42nd over from a comfortable 185 for two.

However, Dravid stood like a rock and ensured that India attained the targetcomfortably. He reached his half-century off just 44 balls with five fours andplayed the role of sheet-anchor to perfection. Wicketkeeper Samir Dighe toocould not last long and was out for nine but Ajit Agarkar gave company to Dravidwho
brought the team's victory with a four, India reaching 237 in 49.2 overs.

  Dravid's unbeaten 72 came off just 64 balls and contained seven hitsto the fence - his effort winning him the man of the match award - while Agarkarremained not out on 13 off 12 balls with two fours.

For Zimbabwe, Grant Flower finished with figures of four for 44 from eightovers and he was clearly the best of the lot.

Earlier, the hosts overcame a shaky start and capitalised on loose bowlingand shoddy fielding by India to reach a decent total which looked quiteimprobable when they were two down for seven in the second over.
For the second time in two matches, India were off to a dream start when ZaheerKhan dismissed opener  Campbell and Stuart Carlisle in his first over.

They would have been in greater trouble had the Indians latched on to thechances offered. Opener Dion Ebrahim, who went on to make 42, was let off onthree occasions. Then there were 28 extras conceded by the Indians that included12 no-balls and nine wides. Zaheer Khan, the most successful bowler with fourwickets for 42 runs, was the major culprit bowling seven no-balls and four wides.

Zimbabwe, in a must-win situation after losing the first two matches, showed enough patience during the middle oversand concentrated on saving their wickets. They went on the attack only after the 40th over and scored 85 runs from thelast ten overs.

Whittall, leading the side in the absence of Heath Streak, played a captain's knock and remained unbeaten on 58and there were handsome contributions from Flower (45) and Wishart (46) too.

Ebrahim and Wishart did the initial damage control but lived dangerously. Ebrahim, when on three, was caught bywicketkeeper Dighe off Agarkar but no one, except the bowler, appealed and the batsman stayed.On nine, he was dropped by Mongia at second slip and two overs later, Agarkar grounded a tame return catch to give himhis third life.

Ebrahim raised 87 runs with Wishart before the latter was caught by Agarkar offGanguly for a well-made 46 off 68 balls with three fours. Ebrahim became Zaheer's thirdvictim, adjudged leg before wicket after making 42 off 110 balls that contained four boundaries.

That brought Flower and Whittall together and marked the resurgence of the Zimbabwe innings. Both batsmen were patientin the beginning preferring to settle down before launching the onslaught. Flower was the first to press the acceleratorwhen he came out to Nehra and hit through the off-side in identical fashion for two boundaries.

Whittall took a cue and reverse swept Harbhajan twice in the 43rd over for two more fours.

PTI