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NAGPUR (India), Feb 25: Spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh bowled India to a crushing victory by an innings and 101 runs over Zimbabwe in the first Test Monday.
Off-spinner Singh captured four wickets for eight runs from 10.4 overs as Zimbabwe were skittled out for 182 in their second innings midway through the morning of the fifth day.
Zimbabwe, who resumed on their overnight total of 152 for four, lost their last six wickets for just 26 runs in only 21.4 overs.
It was the fourth successive defeat for the African side who suffered a 3-0 whitewash in a recent Test series in Sri Lanka.
Leg-spinner Kumble completed his 19th five-wicket haul in a Test innings, claiming the other two wickets of the morning to finish with five for 63 and match figures of nine for 145.
The 31-year-old, who has made a strong comeback since returning in October after a year out with a shoulder surgery, was named Man-of-the-Match.
Opener Trevor Gripper struck a defiant 60 to provide the only meaningful resistance before Zimbabwe folded.
His five-hour stay at the crease was ended when he fell to an easy bat-pad catch to substitute Virender Sehwag at forward shortleg off Harbhajan.
Gripper hit six fours during his 211-ball knock.
Harbhajan, who opened the attack with Kumble, struck with his third delivery in the day’s second over when nightwatchman Raymond Price (4) edged a catch to silly point.
Kumble then removed Grant Flower (1), the last recognised batsman, when he trapped him lbw for one after the Zimbabwean failed to offer a stroke to his flipper.
After removing Gripper, Harbhajan had teenager Tatenda Taibu caught by Sehwag at forward shortleg for nought.
Kumble then completed his five-wicket haul by forcing Heath Streak to edge to Saurav Ganguly in the slips.
India claimed victory a run later when Sachin Tendulkar ran behind the wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta to catch last-man Brighton Watambwa who miscued as he hit out against Harbhajan.
Indian batsmen, led by Tendulkar’s masterly 176, had set up victory by amassing 570-7 declared in their first innings to give their bowlers five sessions on a spin-friendly track to bowl out the opposition.
Opener Shiv Sundar Das struck 105 for his second Test hundred and all-rounder Sanjay Bangar hit 100 not out for his maiden century.
The second and final Test starts in New Delhi from Thursday.
ZIMBABWE (1st Innings) 287 (S.V. Carlisle 77, T.J. Friend 60 not out, A.D.R. Campbell 57; A.R. Kumble 4-82).
INDIA (1st Innings, 209-2 from Friday):
S.S. Das c Campbell b Price 105
D. Dasgupta b Price 33
R.S. Dravid b Streak 65
S.R. Tendulkar c A. Flower b Price 176
S.C. Ganguly c G. Flower b Price 38
V.V.S. Laxman c Rennie b Price 13
S.B. Bangar not out 100
Zaheer Khan b Watambwa 0
A.R. Kumble not out 13
EXTRAS (B-16, LB-2, W-3, NB-6) 27
TOTAL (for seven dec,) 570
FALL OF WKTS: 1-79, 2-209, 3-247, 4-344, 5-376, 6-547, 7-547.
DID NOT BAT: Harbhajan Singh, J. Srinath.
BOWLING: Streak 34-9-108-1 (2nb, 1w); Watambwa 25.5-6-87-1 (1nb, 2w); Price 68-18-182-5; Friend 22-3-61-0 (3nb); G.W. Flower 30-8-96-0; Gripper 5-0-18-0.
ZIMBABWE (2nd Innings):
S.V. Carlisle lbw b Zaheer 28
T.R. Gripper c sub b Harbhajan 60
A.D.R. Campbell c Laxman b Kumble 30
A. Flower c Dravid b Kumble 8
G.J. Rennie c sub b Kumble 25
R.W. Price c Dravid b Harbhajan 4
G.W. Flower lbw b Kumble 1
H.H. Streak c Ganguly b Kumble 8
T. Taibu c sub b Harbhajan 0
T.J. Friend not out 6
B.T. Watambwa c T’dulkar b Harbhajan 1
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8, NB-2) 11
TOTAL (all out, 88.4 overs) 182
FALL OF WKTS: 1-32, 2-80, 3-103, 4-147, 5-156, 6-159, 7-161, 8-167, 9-181.
BOWLING: Srinath 6-3-20-0; Kumble 37-15-63-5; Zaheer Khan 8-1-33-1; Harbhajan Singh 31.4-9-46-4; Tendulkar 6-2-11-0.
UMPIRES: S. Venkataraghavan (India) and D.R. Shepherd (England).
TV UMPIRE: Jasbir Singh.
MATCH REFEREE: J.R. Reid.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Anil Kumble.
SECOND TEST: New Delhi, Feb 28-March 4.—Reuters
