Sridharan Sriram, Niraj Patel
flay Zimbabwe bowling

India's National Cricket Academy batsmen flayed Zimbabwe's bowling attack at Indore on Thursday, warning the tourists of the dangers that lay ahead.

Replying to Zimbabwe's 322-6 declared, the young Academy batsmen put on a thrilling display to score one run more than their more fancied opponents before they too closed their innings after six wickets.

Zimbabwe were 84-2 in their second knock at stumps on the second day of the three-day match, a lead of 83 with eight wickets in hand.

Trevor Madondo was unbeaten on 33 and Andy Flower was on 23, the pair having added 50 so far for the third wicket after Zimbabwe were reduced to 34-2.

The slow, barren wicket at the Nehru stadium, similar to what the tourists may get for the two Test matches later this month, took the sting out of the Zimbabwe attack.

Seasoned leg-spinner Paul Strang was the only bowler to make an impression, taking three wickets in 15 overs, but at the cost of 82 runs.

Strang's brother, left-arm seamer Bryan, went for 70 runs in 22 overs, while erratic fast bowler Henry Olonga conceded 62 runs in 12 wicketless overs.

Left-hander Sridharan Sriram, hoping for a Test call later in the season after failing in the Sharjah one-day series, top-scored for the Academy with 97.

Sriram hit 14 boundaries, but Paul Strang denied him a century with a well-disguised googly which Sriram tamely hit back to the bowler.

Another left-hander Neeraj Patel hit a fluent 87, but the best innings of the day was played by captain Reetinder Sodhi.

Sodhi, marked as a certain Test all-rounder in the near future, smashed an unbeaten 55 off 58 balls with 10 boundaries and a six.

The Academy, 82-4 in the morning session, prospered as Patel added 105 for the fifth wicket with Sriram and 107 for the sixth with Sodhi.

As the young guns blasted away, Zimbabwe were left wondering how they would tackle the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in the Test series.

The first Test begins in New Delhi on November 18, soon after the Indians return from the inaugural Test against Bangladesh which starts in Dhaka on Friday.

Scoreboard

Zimbabwe (1st innings): 322-6 decl (A. Campbell 114 not out, S. Carlisle 61, Patel 3-70)

National Cricket Academy (1st innings):
S. Sriram c and b P. Strang 97
N. Doru b B. Strang 14
S. Singh c A. Flower b Friend 12
G. Gambhir c Campbell b P. Strang 19
M. Kaif lbw b P. Strang 0
N. Patel c Friend b Madondo 87
R. Sodhi not out 55
R. Patel not out 26
Extras: (lb4, w2, nb7) 13
Total (for six wickets decl) : 323
Did not bat: Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, A. Ratra, M. Tripathi

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-47, 3-82, 4-82, 5-187, 6-294
Bowling: Friend 15-5-36-1, B. Strang 22-5-70-1, Olonga 12-2-69-0, P. Strang 15-1-82-3, Marillier 6-0-39-0, Madondo 3-0-23-1

Zimbabwe (2nd innings):

D. Marillier b Patel 23
G. Rennie c Ratra b Patel 1
T. Madondo not out 33
A. Flower not out 23
Extras: (lb1, nb3) 4
Total (for two wickets) 84
To bat: A. Campbell, G. Whittall, S. Carlisle, P. Strang, B. Strang, T. Friend, H. Olonga. Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-34.
Bowling: R. Patel 7-2-32-2, Tripathi 6-2-16-0, Sodhi 3-0-14-0, Sharandeep 6-1-19-0, Sivaramakrishnan 2-0-2-0

Mail Cricket Editor