zimcricketnews.com

Plenty of coverage of the 2nd Test to wade through, with criticism being shared fairly evenly between the two sides - India for not tying the series up even more quickly than they did, and Zimbabwe for some woeful batting performances. Read on for more...

Starting with the Zimbabwean press, the Zimbabwe Independent points out that the home team were

"hopelessly outclassed"

...but were at least able to put up something of a fight on the final day:

"All-rounder Andy Blignaut at least provided the home support with something to cheer about, blasting a breezy 84 not out off 93 balls after coming to the crease with Zimbabwe at a precarious 85-6. Blignaut survived five dropped catches during his innings but that did not detract from the invaluable 116-run partnership he put on for the seventh wicket with Hamilton Mazakadsa, who eventually fell lbw to Pathan for 71."

Zim Whitewashed

The Herald picks up on Heath Streak's tongue-in-cheek comments about being trained to be an opening batsman:

"'Most of the time I am in when Irfan (Pathan) and Zaheer (Khan) still have the new ball in their hands. I am getting trained to be a good opening batsman,' said Streak, jokingly. Streak, who took six Indian wickets in the first innings, had to witness another Zimbabwean batting failure as the first four wickets fell with only 21 runs on the board, forcing him to return to the field with bat in hand."

They also pick up on the positive aspects of Zimbabwe's performance:

"Gallant middle-order batting by Hamilton Masakadza and Andy Blignaut saved Zimbabwe from an eighth innings defeat in 10 Test matches but India needed just 14 balls to clinch a deserved 10-wicket win in the second and final Royal Stag cricket match at Harare Sports Club"

...while passing on some helpful advice from Indian captain Sourav Ganguly:

"There are signs of improvement in the present Zimbabwe side. They just need people to stand up and come through. They can bat and also bowl, but not perhaps consistently. They quite clearly are missing the likes of Andy Flower and Grant Flower and others, including I could say Ray Price."

Streak Complains Over Role
India Clinch Series Win

CricInfo give due praise to the bowling performances of Irfan Pathan and Heath Streak:

"Irfan Pathan fittingly put an abrupt end to the spirited counterattack, with a haul of five wickets, and helped India seal a convincing ten-wicket victory on the third day at Harare. Pathan, who struck back after being carted around in the first session, finished with a staggering 21 victims in the series, along with the Man-of-the-Series award, and equalled the record for the most wickets by a bowler in a two-Test rubber." ... "Streak was irresistible, as the figures of 5 for 39 from 21 overs testify: he swung the ball appreciably, and late, mixed the straight one or the indipper superbly, and slipped in the bouncer every once in a while, all at a sharp pace. The way he pieced together all his weapons to work batsmen out was wonderful to watch too."

Praise for India is tempered, though, with a reminder of their off-field problems:

"This series win was as emphatic as they come, but ironically, it could also herald a changing of the guard. The captain-coach equation has to be solved urgently, and with Tendulkar due back against the Sri Lankans, two from Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif will have to sit out. It will be a time for tough choices, and one can only hope that the selectors face the facts head on, instead of shying away."

Pathan Stars in Series Win
Swinging with Streak
Future in a Foreign Field

Moving onwards, BBC Sport reports Zimbabwe coach Kevin Curran's unhappiness with some of the umpiring decision in this series - and after seeing some of the LBW decisions given yesterday, I can't really disagree with him:

"Curran claimed some Zimbabwe batsmen were given out incorrectly while appeals from the bowlers during India's innings were turned down. "The lesser countries seem to get poor decisions all the time. It's not acceptable," he said. "This has been happening to us for a long time", added Curran."

Meanwhile, there's more praise for Irfan Pathan's record-breaking bowling performance:

"Pathan was unable to pick up the extra wicket needed to give him a chance of beating Javagal Srinath's 13-132 against Pakistan in 1999 - the best figures in Test cricket by an Indian seam bowler. His haul of 21 wickets in the two-match series did, however, equal a record shared by Kumble (v Pakistan in 1999) and England's Johnny Briggs (v South Africa in 1889)".

Zimbabwe Coach Criticizes Umpires
Paceman Pathan Inspires India Win

The other main sporting sites continue in much the same vein, so we'll leave it there. That's all from the national team until the West Indies tour in April/May 2006, barring any late additions to the calendar, but Zimbabwean cricket continues with the domestic season about to kick off and the Afro-Asian Under 19 tournament in India in November.