Poor batting led to
defeat: Ganguly

India captain Sourav Ganguly blamed poor top-order batting for his side's six-wicket defeat by Zimbabwe in the third one-day international on Wednesday.

India lost their first four wickets for just 51 runs and were eventually dismissed for 191 in 48.3 overs, Zimbabwe's medium-pacer Douglas Hondo emerging as the chief wicket-taker with four for 37.

"We didn't bat well enough, that's why we lost," Ganguly told reporters.

"Even though the wicket was slow, 191 was never going to be enough. After a batting performance like that, there's not much you can do."

India overhauled the 150-run mark thanks to a patient 56 by Mohammad Kaif, who added 86 for the fifth wicket with all-rounder Sanjay Bangar (36).

But the total was never going to be enough and the in-form Alistair Campbell (71) hammered his third successive one-day fifty to help Zimbabwe reach the victory target with more than five overs to spare.

That put the visitors 2-1 up in the five-match series, with the last two games to be played at Hyderabad on Saturday and at Guwahati next Tuesday.

"It's a do-or-die situation for us now," Ganguly said. "We have to do our best in the next two games and clinch the series."

Coach John Wright slammed his team for succumbing to pressure after the initial loss of wickets.

UNACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE

"Today's performance was unacceptable," the former New Zealand captain said. "We must be able play under pressure. It is part of the game and you have to be ready for it."

He also criticised Kaif for getting out too early.

"Kaif had a wonderful opportunity, but he blew it. We needed him to play through. You get in and you go on, you have to learn to take responsibility and get the job done."

The Indian batsman seemed well set but then lofted a ball from paceman Heath Streak straight to Craig Wishart at mid-wicket shortly after Bangar had been dismissed in similar fashion.

Zimbabwe captain Stuart Carlisle was fulsome in his praise for man-of-the-match Hondo.

"Dougie Hondo bowled really well," he said. "He kept it simple, bowled straight and got the dividends on a pitch where the ball was not quite coming on to the bat."

The 21-year-old Hondo, playing only his third one-day international, removed the first three Indian batsmen cheaply before returning to claim number 11 Zaheer Khan.

Hondo, who said he had never before played in front of a crowd anywhere near Cochin's capacity of 30,000, stuck to a simple strategy with the ball.

"I just bowled line and length and kept it straight -- that's what I was thinking," he said.

Carlisle also praised the batting of Campbell: "Alistair played a very good knock. Batting was hard on that pitch and he made it look easy. It was a great team effort."

Mail Cricket Editor