Zimbabwe claim India scalp

Sharma ton in vain

Last updated: 28th May 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Zimbabwe claim India scalp

Sharma: maiden ODI ton

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Rohit Sharma's century failed to prevent India crashing to a six-wicket defeat against Zimbabwe in the triangular series opener.

Sharma hit 114 from 119 balls, his maiden ODI hundred, as India reached 285-5 after opting to bat first in Bulawayo.

But debutant Craig Ervine's 67 not out saw Zimbabwe to their target with 10 deliveries to spare.

Suresh Raina, leading a young side after the selectors opted to rest most of India's senior players for the tour, won the toss and chose to bat.

After openers Murali Vijay (11) and Dinesh Karthik (22) got the innings off to a flyer with a 56-run stand, Zimbabwe hit back to reduce the visitors to 61-3.

Sharma and Raina steadied the ship with a 67-run, fourth wicket partnership before Raina (37) edged behind off Christopher Mpofu (2-63).

Towering

And Ravindra Jadeja (61no) then joined Sharma to up the tempo in a 132-run alliance for the fifth wicket.

Sharma brought up his ton in the 47th over with a towering six off left-arm spinner Ray Price but fell to Mpofu in the next, a top edge looping to Brendan Taylor behind the stumps.

Taylor anchored Zimbabwe's run chase with 81 off 103 balls, sharing half-century stands with Hamilton Masakadza (46) and Greg Lamb (27) for the first two wickets respectively.

His departure, caught by Umesh Yadav off Vinay Kumar (2-51), reduced the home side to 176-3 in the 35th over.

But Ervine's 60-ball contribution, coupled with support from Charles Coventry (32) and skipper Elton Chigumbura (24no), took Zimbabwe across the winning line in the penultimate over.

The triangular series continues on Sunday when India take on Sri Lanka.