ZIMBABWE v INDIA -- Review

John Ward
12 October 1998

This was Zimbabwe's finest hour, and it was one of the great Test matches, with fortunes fluctuating wildly every day.

Only once before have Zimbabwe won a Test match, on the same Harare Sports Club ground in February 1995 against Pakistan. On that occasion, once Andy and Grant Flower had finished their huge partnership and Zimbabwe had declared on 544 for four, the pressure was almost all on Pakistan. This time, Zimbabwe had to overcome intense pressure from beginning to end before they were able to clinch victory.

Zimbabwe were also playing under the serious disadvantage of being without two of their top players, Grant Flower and Guy Whittall, through injury. Both had scored centuries in Zimbabwe's previous Test victory, and this also meant that there were only four Zimbabwean survivors from that match: Andy Flower, Alistair Campbell, Heath Streak and Henry Olonga.

It is entirely appropriate that Olonga, Zimbabwe's first black Test cricketer, should have made his Test debut in the first victory and then played such a major part in the second.

Zimbabwe's captain, Alistair Campbell, felt like a man vindicated. He has always believed in the ability of his team, but realised that a greater self-belief was necessary before they played to potential. Now in his third year of captaincy, he has always emphasised to his men the need for each individual to take responsibility for his own and the team's performances, rather than look to others to score the vital runs or take the vital wickets. He quoted Geoff Boycott, who has often said that when you play well for yourself, you play well for the team.

Now, he feels, his men have got the message. He cites as a prime example Craig Wishart, whose batting while opening the innings played a leading role in Zimbabwe's victories in both the third one-day international and the Test.

In the past, he says, the attitude of many of this players has been, ``We can't match the opposition in batting or bowling, but we can compete in fielding.'' Now the players are beginning to realise that they can also compare with the best as batsmen and bowlers.

This was evident on the final day of the test match, when his team might well have been disheartened after the morning's batting collapse. ``Not much was said over lunch,'' says Campbell, ``but we had a chat in the changing room, and realised that we were not going out to compete but to win.''

It was clear from the purpose of the Zimbabwean team as they went out after lunch, with India needing only 235 to win, that this time they knew they could do it. And this time, having gained the upper hand, they never lost their grip, seeing the job right through to completion.

Campbell does admit, though, that there was a bit of a flutter during that defiant last-wicket stand between Javagal Srinath and Harbhajan Singh, when the Zimbabweans had subconsciously relaxed a bit. Suddenly there was a fear that, after all they had done, the last pair might bat them out of the game now. But this time Zimbabwe had done enough to make it secure.

Campbell paid tribute to pace bowler Henry Olonga, who did a fine job as strike bowler, following instructions to bowl as fast as possible. For the other pacemen, accuracy was the main virtue. No one did the job better than 'Pommy' Mbangwa, he says, whose 12 overs in the second innings cost only 16 runs. Heath Streak also did a fine job in exerting pressure, while Neil Johnson chipped in with vital wickets.

Apart from the first one-day match in Bulawayo, where he was dropped twice in the course of scoring a century, Sachin Tendulkar did not do as well on tour as expected. Campbell and his team were always aware of how the early dismissal of a team's superstar is a major boost for the opposition and a setback for his own team.

So naturally the Zimbabweans laid their plans to deal with Tendulkar with great care. It would have been a mistake, says Campbell, to try too hard to dismiss such a great player with attacking bowling and field placings.

Instead, his team tried to put Tendulkar under pressure to score, tying him down by giving nothing away, making him work for every run by bowling line and length and putting the ball in the right place. ``Let them come at you,'' was his policy, he says, and in this series it worked well.

The team also felt that Mohammad Azharuddin had a back-foot weakness outside the off stump, and were twice able to dismiss him that way through catches to Campbell himself at slip.

Last season, although Zimbabwe's ground fielding and catching had been superb, they were at times let down by their close catching. Campbell confirmed that they had been practising in that area, and very little was missed there against India. ``It was also a matter of putting the right people in the right places,'' he said.

It was also gratifying to be able to set attacking fields; he had been criticised in the past for defensive field placings, but he felt that the limitations of his bowling attack had made that the best course to follow. This time, with the pace of Olonga and the reliability of his other bowlers, he had the opportunity to attack successfully in the field and was better able to stick to his game plan.

Campbell paid tribute to the excellent Test pitch prepared by Charles Wallace. The players had been hoping for a green-top to assist their pace attack, but Mr Wallace had backed his judgement and produced a fine pitch that was good for both batsmen and bowlers who were prepared to put in full effort.

He feels that the extra bounce in the pitch had the Indians at rather a disadvantage, as they were not used to this. But it all made for an excellent game of cricket; he had never played in another match like this one for fluctuating fortunes. He paid tribute to Rahul Dravid, who batted very well in both innings of the test.

Relationships between the teams both on and off the field were 'brilliant', Campbell says, although this ignores the usual unjustified appealing that had become so much part of the modern game. He pay tribute to the Indian tourists as great ambassadors, who were prepared to offer praise and congratulations to the Zimbabwean team after the Test match.

The one disappointment was that there was only one Test match, but this was inevitable due to the Bangladesh knockout competition for the Test-playing countries. It would indeed have been a wonderful boost for Zimbabwean cricket had there been further Tests to follow in a proper series. This came after eight consecutive two-match series for Zimbabwe, who have not played a longer series since the visit of Pakistan in 1994/95.

Campbell feels that a Test series should ideally consist of not fewer than three matches, with a three-match one-day series to go with it. He strongly anticipates that this victory will inspire Zimbabwe to more regular victories in future; hopefully it will also persuade the other test-playing countries to regard Zimbabwe with more respect and be willing to play more frequent and regular Test series.

Written for CricInfo by John Ward (jward@samara.co.zw)