September 15, 2002	Sunday	Rajab 7, 1423

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COLOMBO, Sept 14: India beat Zimbabwe by 14 runs in the opening Champions Trophy pool 2 match Saturday, despite a magnificent 145 from the African team’s Andy Flower.

Mohammad Kaif scored an unbeaten 111, his first One-day International century, as India piled up 288 for six from their 50 overs after recovering from 87 for five. Rahul Dravid continued his impressive recent form with 71.

Zimbabwe always struggled to keep up with the required run rate as the Indian bowlers and fielders kept their discipline in the day-night match, and despite Flower’s efforts the Africans finished on 274 for eight.

England are the other team in pool 2.

Kaif rescued India from a shaky start of 87 for five and together with Rahul Dravid, who weighed in with a 71, raised 117 runs for the sixth wicket.

Dreadlocked Zimbabwean paceman Douglas Hondo had done the early damage with an early four-wicket blitz which included the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar for seven runs.

But the 21-year-old Kaif, who scored a match-winning 87 not out against England in the final of the one-day triangular series in July, once again revealed his tenacity and India’s batting depth in his 112-ball effort.

He took just 37 balls to bring up his second international fifty, which included five fours and a six.

Dravid, India’s top scorer in the recent Test series in England, hit six fours in his 40th one-day fifty before he was run out by a direct hit from Stuart Carlisle in the 38th over.

But Kaif brought up a rapid 84-runs for the next wicket with Anil Kumble, who made 18 not out, as the Zimbabwe bowlers faltered.

Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night game on a pitch expected to make strokeplay difficult.

Hondo went for early runs, but produced sharp seam movement to have all his four victims caught in the slips and give the African side the edge in the tournament’s toughest pool, which also includes England.

The 23-year-old struck twice in the fourth over to dismiss left-handers Ganguly (13) and Dinesh Mongia (0) before claiming Tendulkar’s wicket, the first three successes coming in the space of 17 balls.

Sean Ervine then made an important double contribution to the Zimbabwe cause. First he had opener Virender Sehwag caught behind for 48 before making a superb one-handed catch at second slip to dismiss Yuvraj Singh (3), giving Hondo his fourth success.