21 January 2004	Wednesday	28 Ziqa'ad 1424

BRISBANE, Jan 20: Zimbabwe batsman Mark Vermeulen suffered a depressed skull fracture during his side's 24-run defeat by India in the triangular series one-day match on Tuesday.

The African side were all out for 231 in Brisbane after chasing India's total of 255 for six, which included half-centuries for Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh.

Zimbabwe started well in reply until Vermeulen, on 14, top-edged an Irfan Pathan delivery in the eighth over and the ball struck him above the right eye.The 24-year-old, who suffered a hairline skull fracture during a net session at last year's World Cup, was taken to a Brisbane hospital and is expected to have surgery this week.

"It's just really sad," Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak told a news conference. "We've already lost Craig Wishart (knee surgery) and to lose Mark is a big blow to Zimbabwe cricket.

India captain Saurav Ganguly had success with his gentle medium pacers, completing figures of three for 55. Zimbabwe's leading batsman were tailenders Sean Ervine and Dion Ebrahim who made 39 apiece for Heath Streak's side who are without a victory from four matches in the triangular series also involving Australia.

They did show plenty of fight, though, earning a bonus point, their first point of the tournament. Zimbabwe reached 66 without loss before India claimed four wickets for 15 runs.

Travis Friend was run out for seven by Ganguly, opener Grant Flower holed out to deep cover off Ashish Nehra for 36 and big hitter Andy Blignaut was caught in the gully off Lakshmipathy Balaji for three.

Ganguly claimed the vital wicket of the in-form Streak, bowled for three, to reduce the Zimbabweans to 81 for four. The skipper also removed wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu for 15 and Stuart Carlisle caught behind for 34 when the ball lodged in wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel's pad.

Ervine, Ebrahim and Ray Price (18 not out) showed an urgency not always obvious in the top order. However, hopes of an upset victory by Zimbabwe vanished in an instant when Ebrahim and Douglas Hondo (0) fell in successive balls.

Man-of-the-Match Yuvraj, who made 69 from 76 balls, dominated a stand of 114 with Dravid before Yuvraj was bowled by left-arm spinner Ray Price with the score on 188 for four.

New batsman Rohan Gavaskar hit a rapid 22 in a partnership of 61 from eight overs with Dravid. Gavaskar was the next batsman out, bowled by Streak in the penultimate over and Dravid became Sean Ervine's third victim in the final over following a patient 84 from 106 balls.

India, who went into the match without injured opening pair Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, lost three wickets in the first 17 overs. Ganguly, on 33, popped a short ball from Ervine to leg gully where Hondo took a spectacular, one-handed catch diving backwards.

The Africans then had Vangipurappu Laxman, fresh from an unbeaten century against Australia last week, caught behind off Ervine for 12. India's win was their third in four matches. Australia, on 18 points, will host India, on 17, in Sydney on Thursday.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

P.A. Patel b Streak 19

S.C. Ganguly c Hondo b Ervine 33

V.V.S. Laxman c Taibu b Ervine 12

R.S. Dravid c Streak b Ervine 84

Yuvraj Singh b Price 69

R.S. Gavaskar b Streak 22

H.K. Badani not out 1

I.K. Pathan not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-6, NB-1) 10

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 255

FALL OF WKTS: 1-41, 2-67, 3-74, 4-188, 5-249, 6-249.

DID NOT BAT: A.R. Kumble, L. Balaji, A. Nehra.

BOWLING: Streak 10-1-48-2 (2w); Blignaut 7-1-44-0 (1nb, 2w); Hondo 6-0-39-0; Ervine 10-0-47-3 (2w); Price 10-0-43-1; Flower 7-0-31-0.

ZIMBABWE:

G.W. Flower c Laxman b Nehra 36

M.A. Vermeulen retired hurt 14

T.J. Friend run out 7

S.V. Carlisle c Patel b Ganguly 34

A.M. Blignaut c Yuvraj b Balaji 1

H.H. Streak b Ganguly 3

T. Taibu c Laxman b Ganguly 15

S.M. Ervine c Ganguly b Balaji 39

D.D. Ebrahim c Ganguly b Pathan 39

R.W. Price not out 18

D.T. Hondo run out 0

EXTRAS (LB-11, W-13, NB-1) 25

TOTAL (47.1 overs) 231

FALL OF WKTS: 1-66, 2-70, 3-73, 4-81, 5-128, 6-148, 7-197, 8-231, 9-231.

BOWLING: Nehra 9-1-44-1; Pathan 9-2-40-1 (1nb, 5w); Balaji 9.1-0-37-2 (3w); Kumble 10-1-44-0; Ganguly 10-0-55-3 (5w).

RESULT: India won by 24 runs.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Yuvraj Singh.

NEXT MATCH: Australia v India, in Sydney, Jan 22.-Reuters