My Favorite cricket match **Vol. 9 **

Ninth in my list of my Favorite cricket match is a tri-series played between India, Australia and Zimbabwe. This match is between India and Zimbabwe, played at W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth, Australia on 3^rd Feb, 2004. Zimbabwe hasn’t won a single game in this series and they would like to win this last game against India.

Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bat first, So India is bowling first and this game is like the training session before the Final for India and as both Australia and India have already qualified for the Finals, which are best of 3 matches.

This is how Zimbabwe team and 11looks like : Tatenda Taibu (wk), Stuart Matsikenyeri, Vusi Sibanda, Blessing Mahwire,Ray Price, Heath Streak (c), Stuart Carlisle, Andy Blignaut, Travis Friend,Dion Ebrahim, Sean Ervine

And Indian 11 looks like this: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (c & wk), VVS Laxman,Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Ashish Nehra, Hemang Badani, Amit Bhandari, Rohan Gavaskar

Indian Bowled very well and Zimbabwe players were not looking very comfortable on the seaming wicket and they were eventually bowled out 135 runs in 34.4 over’s and did not even played the full allotted 50 over’s and only Stuart Mat. Made 36 runs in 46 balls with 4 fours and strike rate of 78 and Sean ervine and Stuart Carlisle made small contributions and other did not bother to even contribute.

India need to make 136 runs and they batted well and completed the target in 30.3 over’s with 117 balls still remaining. For India hemang Badani made the highest contribution of 34 in 59 balls with 5 fours and strike rate of 59 And V V S laxman and Virender Sehwag also contributed crucial knocks.

Irfan pathan was the Man of the Match for his all round performance and Good bowling as well. At that time Irfan pathan was in the form of his life and he played some great cricket on that tour.