India dim Zimbabwe lights

However, I was quite surprised to see Heath Streak opting to bat first after winning the toss. Had they bowled first, perhaps they would have made the Indians sweat more for their win. The wicket sure had something for the fast bowlers early in the match. Did the Zimbabweans think that the cracks in the wicket would open more in the second half and batting second would be hazardous? Well, your guess is as good as mine.

Whatever may be the reasons, I was pleased to see Irfan bowling superbly once again. At the highest level, it is consistency that matters, and that8217;s what separates good players from others. Irfan has not only been consistent but is also improving with each outing. Balaji, too, is looking better and better, and the duo bowled very well in tandem.

The surprise packet, however, was Amit Bhandari. The Delhi boy has done extremely well for his state in domestic competition for the last couple of years. And it was good to see him getting a well-deserved break, thanks to the Indian think-tank which, quite rightly, preferred to rest Agarkar for this match.

Amit bowled very well. He showed aggression and was positive. It wouldn8217;t be right to belittle his efforts by saying that the opposition was weak. No doubt, he created an impression. His arrival will mean that the others can8217;t take things for granted and will have work harder to retain their places.

Bhandari will, however, have to work hard on his action at the point of delivery to become more effective. He tends to open up his left shoulder and bowls with a round-arm action. If he makes sure to land his left foot slightly more side-on, he would not only get his arm higher but also ensure his out-swinger is more effective. He has the pace and the physique, but he must utilise these assets to the fullest.

It was a good, morale-boosting win before the finals and I am sure the Indians must be secretly happy to leave WACA for the more easier wickets of MCG and SCG.