India take slow road to victory

India coasted home by six wickets in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals against Zimbabwe in Harare on Saturday.

The away team's spinners proved decisive as they put the skids under the Zimbabwe batsmen after a promising beginning from the hosts.

Chasing 112 to win, India appeared likely to make heavy weather of their chase when they slipped to 48-4 in the eighth over.

Fifth-wicket pair Virat Kohli (26 not out off 21 balls) and Yusuf Pathan (37 not out off 24 balls) then put on an unbeaten stand of 64 to see their team home with five overs to spare.

Captain Suresh Raina also chipped in with a useful 28 off 17 balls as the tourists look to put a disappointing recent ODI tri-series in the same country behind them.

Chris Mpofu (2-31) and Ray Price (2-24) both struck twice for the African nation but their efforts proved in vain.

Zimbabwe's innings of 111-9 had earlier been derailed by the Indian slow bowlers, who conceded just 57 runs off 14 overs.

Their frugality was in stark contrast to the opening seamers, who allowed the hosts to get off to a flyer.

Although Vinay Kumar struck in each of his first two overs, Zimbabwe rattled up 41 in the opening four overs of their innings.

That was to be the high point for the batting side, however, as Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin started to put the block on the scoring.

Chamu Chibhabha was the fourth wicket to go - having contributed a top score of 40 off 30 balls ? as runs became increasingly difficult to find.

Craig Ervine (who laboured to 30 off 42 balls) was the only other batsman to pass 15 as Zimbabwe failed to find the boundary for 59 balls at one point.

Ojha (2-11) and Piyush Chawla (1-14) were the most economical bowlers, whilst Kumar and Ashok Dinda picked up five wickets between them ? although their six combined overs went for 51 runs.