Ahmedabad : A well disciplined performance in the field from Zimbabwe saw them restrict Australia to 262 for six in their Group A match in Ahmedabad on Monday.
Australia were initially tied down by the Zimbabwe spinners before they managed to break free and post 262 runs for six in their opening match. Opening batsmen Shane Watson and Brad Haddin took a circumspect approach at the top of the innings as they scratched their way to 28 without loss in the opening 10 overs.
Zimbabwe opened the bowling from one end with left-arm spinner Ray Price, and with fast bowler Chris Mpofu maintaining a strict line, Watson and Haddin allowed the bowlers to dictate terms in the opening stages.
The Australian Batsman managed 90 runs from the last 10 overs to lend some credibility to the gameplan they still wound up with a less than impressive score. Watson’s (79 out of 92 balls) provided the platform, while Michael Clarke finished the innings well as he hit 58 not out from 55 balls.
The Decision Review System was very useful for the Zimbabweans as they got rid of both Watson and Haddin leg before to their spinners.
Mpofu took two wickets with an economy rate of 6.44 , Price, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer took one wicket each.
Cremer(37) was the top scorer from the Zimbabwe team. Lee and Tait steaming in with the new ball, Zimbabwe's openers had every reason to be nervous but they quickly shed their early jitters. Pace battery of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson proved too much to handle.
"I felt good today. The rhythm was good and it was good to get the early breakthrough. Zimbabwe had come out firing and it is a good victory for us. I wanted to keep a good mix of bouncers and full balls. The wicket was slow at the start and the Zimbabwe spin bowlers bowled well." Johnson said.
"It was a good start for us. The Zimbabwean spinners bowled well and it was difficult to get going. However, the middle order stood up. We will be looking to preserve wickets till the middle overs and ensure that we negotiate the tough times from the spinners. The wicket played real good. Luckily, we kept wickets in hand and got us to a good total. The bowlers did well. Tait is fit and that is a bonus for us. Krejza bowled well in the middle and I am happy with the form. We batted first mainly due to the Dew factor." Ponting said.
"We restricted Australia to under 270 but we need to strengthen our batting. I was happy with the bowlers but the absence of the fifth bowler hurt us. It was a very good wicket to bat on. We have to win against Canada." Chigumbura said.
Toss : Australia, who chose to bat
Points : Australia 2, Zimbabwe 0
Scores : Australia 262/6 (50 ov) Zimbabwe 171 (46.2 ov).
Player of the match : SR Watson (Australia)
Also see : Victory against England will make India almost certain to make it to the quarterfinal - Ravi Shastri
Not sure if World Cup and Champions Trophy are the right place for small nations - Ricky Ponting
Sri Lanka defeat Canada by 210 runs
Kiwis defeat Kenya in just two Hours And 34 Minutes
Watch ICC Cricket World cup 2011 live online streaming & Highlights
Team India starts their journey in the world cup with a huge victory.
Australia were initially tied down by the Zimbabwe spinners before they managed to break free and post 262 runs for six in their opening match. Opening batsmen Shane Watson and Brad Haddin took a circumspect approach at the top of the innings as they scratched their way to 28 without loss in the opening 10 overs.
Zimbabwe opened the bowling from one end with left-arm spinner Ray Price, and with fast bowler Chris Mpofu maintaining a strict line, Watson and Haddin allowed the bowlers to dictate terms in the opening stages.
The Australian Batsman managed 90 runs from the last 10 overs to lend some credibility to the gameplan they still wound up with a less than impressive score. Watson’s (79 out of 92 balls) provided the platform, while Michael Clarke finished the innings well as he hit 58 not out from 55 balls.
The Decision Review System was very useful for the Zimbabweans as they got rid of both Watson and Haddin leg before to their spinners.
Mpofu took two wickets with an economy rate of 6.44 , Price, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer took one wicket each.
Cremer(37) was the top scorer from the Zimbabwe team. Lee and Tait steaming in with the new ball, Zimbabwe's openers had every reason to be nervous but they quickly shed their early jitters. Pace battery of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson proved too much to handle.
"I felt good today. The rhythm was good and it was good to get the early breakthrough. Zimbabwe had come out firing and it is a good victory for us. I wanted to keep a good mix of bouncers and full balls. The wicket was slow at the start and the Zimbabwe spin bowlers bowled well." Johnson said.
"It was a good start for us. The Zimbabwean spinners bowled well and it was difficult to get going. However, the middle order stood up. We will be looking to preserve wickets till the middle overs and ensure that we negotiate the tough times from the spinners. The wicket played real good. Luckily, we kept wickets in hand and got us to a good total. The bowlers did well. Tait is fit and that is a bonus for us. Krejza bowled well in the middle and I am happy with the form. We batted first mainly due to the Dew factor." Ponting said.
"We restricted Australia to under 270 but we need to strengthen our batting. I was happy with the bowlers but the absence of the fifth bowler hurt us. It was a very good wicket to bat on. We have to win against Canada." Chigumbura said.
Toss : Australia, who chose to bat
Points : Australia 2, Zimbabwe 0
Scores : Australia 262/6 (50 ov) Zimbabwe 171 (46.2 ov).
Player of the match : SR Watson (Australia)
Also see : Victory against England will make India almost certain to make it to the quarterfinal - Ravi Shastri
Not sure if World Cup and Champions Trophy are the right place for small nations - Ricky Ponting
Sri Lanka defeat Canada by 210 runs
Kiwis defeat Kenya in just two Hours And 34 Minutes
Watch ICC Cricket World cup 2011 live online streaming & Highlights
Team India starts their journey in the world cup with a huge victory.
