Double centurion Gambhir flays Zimbabwe attack

A superb double century from opener Gautam Gambhir helped the Indian Board President's XI pile up 361 for three at the end of the first day in their three-day match against Zimbabwe on Friday.

The visitors, playing their first match of the tour, were smashed around the ground by the 19-year-old Delhi left-hander, who hammered 39 boundaries in his 284-ball innings of 218.

Gambhir was finally out in the 93rd over of the day, caught in the slips by Andy Flower off medium-pacer Mpumelelo Mbangwa.

Gambhir was involved in three big partnerships -- 87 for the opening wicket with Gagan Khoda (41), 175 for the second wicket with captain Rahul Dravid (50), and 94 for the third wicket with Abhijit Kale. Kale was unbeaten on 40 at stumps.

Earlier, Dravid won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch that offered no help to pace bowlers. Left arm spinner Raymond Price was the only bowler who looked effective as he took two wickets for 102 runs in his 26 overs.

Zimbabwe arrived in India on Wednesday for a two-Test and a five-match one-day series. The first Test starts in the central city of Nagpur on February 21.

Mohandas Menon adds...

200s against visiting teams

The double-hundred by Gautam Gambhir at Vijaywada, was the eighth by a batsman on Indian soil against visiting teams, outside Test matches.

Interestingly, Gambhir becomes the first left-handed batsman to achieve this feat.

The full list:
204 - JG Greig - for Bombay Presidency v Oxford Authentics at Bombay (Gym), 1902-03
203* - Rusi Modi - for Indian XI v Australian Services at Madras, 1945-46
223* - Lala Amarnath - for North Zone v West Indians at Patiala, 1948-49
300* - Imtiaz Ahmed - for Prime Minister XI v Commonwealth at Bombay (CCI), 1950-51
203 - Sunil Gavaskar - for India XI v Sri Lanka XI at Hyderabad, 1975-76
200* - Dilip Vengsarkar - for West Zone v England XI at Rajkot, 1984-85
204* - Sachin Tendulkar - for Mumbai v Australians at Mumbai (CCI), 1997-98
218 - Gautam Gambhir - Board President's XI v Zimbabweans at Vijaywada, 2001-02

Mail Cricket Editor