India defeated Zimbabwe by 14 runs in a closely contested match to win their opening tie in the Champions Trophy here today. Chasing a target of 288 posted by India, Zimbabwe went down fighting at 274 for 8. Andy Flower almost took the match away from India hammering 145 off 164 balls but he got little support from other Zimbabwean batsmen.

This was Flower’s highest individual score and the highest by a Zimbabwean batsman in the one-dayers. India now have four points from the win and will be playing England September 22. Zaheer Khan returned the best bowling figures for India, claiming four wickets for 45 runs.

In spite of putting up 288 on the board and taking two quick Zimbabwean wickets, the Indian bowlers struggled to keep Andy Flower at bay. The most critical dismissal was that of Grant Flower who was brilliantly run out by Yuvraj Singh fielding at point after having made 33 from 41 balls. Till then the Flower brothers had blunted the Indian attack, taking runs at will.

India bowled badly in the middle overs when Harbhajan and Kumble were expected to stem the run flow. Earlier, Mohammad Kaif with a sparkling 111 from 112 balls came to India’s rescue once again.

India, who were struggling at 87 for 5 at one stage, were pulled out of trouble by Kaif and Dravid (71 off 81 balls). The Indian innings began on a bright note with Sehwag and Ganguly making 25 runs in the first four overs. This was when the Indian top order lost its head, starting from the Indian skipper who poked at a delivery from Hondo outside the off stump. The edge was gleefully taken by Campbell at slips. Ganguly made 13 from 12 balls.

Dinesh Mongia, yet to open his account, played a similar shot to Hondo in the same over with the same result - caught by Campbell in the slips off an edge. Tendulkar made seven runs before the Master Blaster flirted outside his off stump to give the Hondo-Campbell combination another wicket. Campbell has taken his third catch and Hondo had claimed his third victim.

Sehwag had hammered 8 boundaries in his 36-ball 48 before he was caught behind off Ervine. Sehwag’s innings was important in the context of the match as in spite of wickets falling around him, he kept on scoring runs quickly. Hondo out of the thick of things for some time, returned to claim his fourth victim when he had Yuvraj Singh brilliantly caught by Ervine in the slips for 3.

With the score reading 87 for 5, the top Indian batsmen had only themselves to blame for the dismissals. Dravid and Kaif stemmed the rout with some excellent running between the wickets and superb shot selection. Dravid has been in cracking form this season and Kaif seemed to have resumed from where he left off in the NatWest final against England.

India had engineered a remarkable recovery at 204 for 5 when yet another twist in the tale saw Dravid run out by Carlisle for 71 off 81 balls. But by then the foundation for a big Indian total had been set. Kaif, playing out of his skin, stroked his way to his maiden one-day hundred reaching the landmark off just 107 balls studded with six fours and a six.

India finished with 288 for 6 in their 50 overs with Kaif undefeated on 111 off 112 balls. There was just one six hit in the Indian innings which is a good sign as the Indian batsmen are relying more on singles and twos to get the scoreboard moving rather than going for the big ones. Mohammad Kaif was declared man of the match.

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