Cricket: Pathan and Agarkar lead rout of Zimbabwe

HARARE - Seamers Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar ripped through Zimbabwe's batsmen to bowl India to a massive 161-run victory in the third triangular series match on Monday.

India totalled a mediocre 226 for six, including half-centuries by MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, but that proved more than enough when they dismissed the hapless Zimbabweans for 65 in 24.3 overs.

Pathan took a career best five for 27 with his swinging left-arm deliveries and Agarkar also swung the ball appreciably to complete figures of four for 18.

Among Zimbabwe's batsmen only Heath Streak, who scored 18 not out, and Prosper Utseya, who made 11, reached double figures and four players were dismissed without scoring.

Extras, which totalled nine, was the joint-third top score and the biggest partnership was the 22 runs added by Streak and Utseya for the last wicket.

Pathan first struck in the third over when Brendan Taylor left a wickedly swinging delivery and was bowled for three and the hosts Zimbabwe subsided to 17 for three in the eighth over and 36 for eight in the 15th.

Earlier, Dhoni scored 56 off 46 balls, including four sixes and two fours, and Yuvraj's 53 not out came off 71 balls and included three fours and a six.

They came together in the 34th over with India stagnating on 121 for four and shared an enterprising stand of 103 off 87 balls.

Most of the Indian batsmen failed to put pressure on the Zimbabwean attack, which escaped punishment despite consistently bowling short of a length on a flat pitch.

Saurav Ganguly and Mohammad Kaif set the pace of much of the innings with a pedestrian stand of 52 for the second wicket.

The partnership was ended in the 16th over when Ganguly, who scored 20, pulled a legside delivery from medium pacer Anthony Ireland straight to Charles Coventry at short fine leg.

Kaif was brilliantly caught and bowled by off spinner Gavin Ewing, ending a subdued knock of 65 from 122 balls.

- REUTERS