Zimbabwe Cricket Team Under Pressure
The fairytale of Zimbabwe's berth in the final of Micromax Tri- series Cup is under threat from Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe have been captivating and looked like a real team that knows how to win. For the first time in their history they have chased targets with serenity.
Where did the stress go? Where did the notorious middle-order crumbles disappear? Where did that trend of choking near victory go? Zimbabwe has only one defeat so far in the series and their morale has visibly improved with each triumph.
Their celebrations - the choreographed dance between Chris Mpofu and Ray Price, the Bebeto-style cradle-the-child and 'just married' Hamilton Masakadza's under-shirt flash - point to a happy team growing and basking in success.
They are just a game away from their first victory in an event featuring test playing nations Sri Lanka and India. The stakes are immense for Zimbabweans and their fans have created a carnival atmosphere.
But the fairy tale of Zimbabwe ran into bitter reality. Tilakratne Dilshan went for a “win toss, bowl first, and win the game” formula.
Asked to bat, Zimbabweans were stopped by terrific swing bowling from Dilhara Fernando and Nuwan Kulasekara, and the initial overs turned out too much for a quick-witted Tatenta Taibu, who swept and pushed his way through to 71, to minimize the effect of that early damage.
Zimbabwe was also smacked hard by their batsmen’s inability to play vigorous cut shots. Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s most successful batsmen of the series, and Taibu, the finest today, played flaccid cut shots, reaching gully and point respectively.
On the big day, the victorious Zimbabwe has showed confused thinking. After losing five wickets, both Greg Lamb and Charles Coventry got out swinging, and the side did not take the batting power play till the 46th over.
They were forced into a persistent transformation mode by the opening spells. With Kulasekara swinging the ball in, Fernando out, Zimbabwe did not post a challenging total. Kulasekara in his first four overs gave only four runs, taking the wicket of Masakadza. Zimbabwe never really fought back.
Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe's most successful batsman throughout the series, fought back against the current, going from 4 runs off 10 balls to 19 off 21, but played perhaps his nastiest shot of the tournament when he tried to push Fernando without considering the presence of gully. Thilan Samaraweera diving to his right took the catch, and both openers were back in the pavilion within the first 10 overs.
The change-up bowlers continued bowling a tight line, and by the start of the 17th over Craig Ervine and Tatenda Taibu had scored just 16 off 51 balls between them. The pressure made them go for some risky runs. One over after Ervine survived a close one, Taibu ran him out, making a call for a tight single and then sending Ervine back.
Then the recovery started. Taibu and Greg Lamb ran hard, putting the run-out behind them. A cheeky single gave them four overthrows. Taibu in the 24th over produced two beautifully chipped boundaries over extra cover. Taibu, once 7 off 24, moved to his fifty off 70 deliveries during a counter-offensive partnership. But Zimbabwe was finally all out for 199 runs in the 49th over.
Ordinary cricket from Zimbabwe resulted in their collapse. Ajantha Mendis and Fernando made sure there was no final boom, and the enchantment was all but over.
The Sri Lankans are well on their way to achieving the target of 200 runs. Though the game is not over till it’s over, with 57 for 0 in the 9th over, it seems to be Sri Lanka’s day.
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