After a partnership of 57 and with the score on 133 Odoyo rode his luck just a bit to far to be caught at wide long by Prasad off the bowling of Bhardwaj. Odoyo left with 33 off 60 balls with three fours and a six. Bhardwaj struck again in the same over to get rid Suji caught behind for 27 off 50 balls with two fours and Kenya at 138/8 in the 44 th over.
Martin Suji joined Mohammad Sheikh for the last six overs of the game with Prasad replacing Singh. It was Prasad however who had other ideas and had Sheikh caught behind for one off six balls. This catch gave keeper Prasad five dismissals which equals the one-day international record.
Josephat Ababu and Suji saw Kenya past the 150 mark in the 47 th over and managed to hold out to the last ball of the match when Chopra bowled Ababu for 11 off 18 balls. Suji ending on 11 from 14 balls with one four and Kenya 162/10 and losing the match by 58 runs.
Apart from the five dismissals from wicket keeper MSK Prasad, his name sake BKV Prasad picked up 3 for 26 and Bhardwaj 3 for 38.
Drinks having been taken after the over seemed to cool Suji down again and
Kenya were back into the survival mode.
With these two holding the world one-day international seventh wicket record
partnership of 119, set against Zimbabwe in the same competition two years
back, a repeat performance was now more than ever needed to rescue their
team.
The 40 th over saw Odoyo lashing out at Joshi, bringing up the 100 with a
cracking six over long off for Joshi to finish his 10 over spell with 24/0 .
Kenya 107/6 (T Odoyo 16*, A Suji 16*)
Tony Suji came to the wicket and Robin Singh took over from Chopra, but any
thought of a run was far from the Kenyan minds. Whenever the batsmen did
manage to cross for a run there would be a huge cheer from those who decided
to stay. Kenya 86/6 (T Odoyo 7*, T Suji 5*)
Joshi was dispatched over mid-wicket by Modi advancing down the pitch, but
for the rest, apart from the odd one and two, it was the Indian bowlers
taking over complete control of the match.
In trying to sweep Chopra, Modi moved his back foot just out of the crease
and keeper Prasad after initially dropping the ball flicked the bails off to
have the TV replay giving him out stumped for 10 off 34 balls with just the
one four. Kenya had drifted to 66/5 at the end of the 23 rd over.
Thomas Odoyo joined Vadher for what has turned out to be a one side
encounter for the spectators to sit through. Kenya 70/5, 27 overs (A Vadher
11*, T Odoyo 1*).
Apart from a couple of singles nothing to exciting happened in this 5 over
spell where only seven runs was scored. Kenya 49/4 (A Vadher 7*, H Modi 1*)
Alpesh Vadher was next in and witnessed the first wide by the Indian bowlers
in this tournament when Mohanty pushed one down the leg side.
Shah showed his class in Prasad's fifth over when playing a square drive for
four and then flicking the next ball through mid wicket for a four bringing
10 runs off the over. The next over saw bowler Mohanty shaking his head as
Shah inside edged him to the fine leg boundary, but followed this up to have
Shah sparring and scooping a catch to Joshi at gully and showing the batsman
which direction to walk. Shah gone for 26 off 28 balls with four fours and
Kenya 42/4 (A Vadher 1* H Modi 0*).
Otieno bad day behind the wickets continued in front of the them as he left
the scene after touching Prasad's first ball to keeper Mannava Prasad. Not
the start that any teams needs.
Steve Tikolo who started in a rush with two fours off Prasads's first over,
lost his wicket with a simple catch to Chopra at mid-wicket off Mohanty's
first over. Tikolo, and a lot of Kenya's hope, gone for eight off 7 balls.
Captain Maurice Odumbe and Shah saw Kenya through to the end of the fifth
over. Kenya 20/2 (M Odumbe 5*, R Shah 6*)
Jadeja, backing up to far, was run-out in the 46 th over when Odoyo returned
the ball from backward point for the replay to show Jadeja just short of the
line. Jadeja run-out for 31 off 32 balls including two sixes and India 189/5
.
An able replacement for Jadeja was Robin Singh who relishes under these
conditions. This innings however was not to be his as he got bowled by a
slower ball from Odoyo for 3 after 5 balls with India now on 198/6 .
Joshi joined Bhardwaj at the crease and together they progressed the total
to 200 in the 49 th over. Bhardwaj struck a great cover drive for four
before Joshi sent a huge six to the on side. Joshi in trying to hit
everything out of the park ended his innings with a return catch to Odumbe
to be out for six off six balls and the one six. India with seven balls to
come where 211/7 .
The job was left to Mannava Prassad to stay with Bhardwaj for the last over.
Bhardwaj, in only his second one-day international, finished the innings on
41 off 30 deliveries including three fours and one six, with Prassad the
other not out batsman on four from four balls and India 220/7.
Bhardwaj was not to be outdone as he, in the next over, sent a ball from
Tikolo sailing well over the wide long on fence. 19 runs had been scored in
two overs and the charge was on.
To put the brakes on the run rate Odumbe took Tikolo off and brought back
the opener Odoyo who had an opening spell of 6-0-9-0 . This did not deter
Bhardwaj as he sent the last ball from Odoyo racing past the bowler for four
to take nine off the over. Bhardwaj was doing a great job for his team.
Jadeja was not finished yet and punished Odumbe in the 45 th over with a
straight six that had spectators looking for the ball. 200 plus was on for
India. India 181/4 (A Jadeja 30*, V Bhardwaj 20*)
For some reason Nikhil Chopra was sent in, and after being dropped by keeper
Otieno off Tikolo showed why, by first smashing Odumbe through the covers
from the back foot and then slogging to deep mid-wicket where Odoyo made a
great effort to take the catch only to palm the ball over the boundary for
four. Tikolo turned the tables by taking a return catch to send Chopra back
to the shower for 13 after 12 balls including two fours. India where now
134/4 and in the 39 th over.
Vijay Bhardway joined his captain as India entered the slog overs. India
136/4 (A Jadeja 8*, V Bhardwaj 0*)
Ramesh went to his sixth one-day international 50 in the 34 th over from 116
balls which included four boundaries. After working so hard he then gave his
wicket away, charging down the wicket to Odumbe, missing, and was easily
stumped by Kennedy Otieno. Nelson once again struck to leave India on 111/2
off 34 overs.
Next batsman in was captain Ajay Jadeja. India 116/2 (R Dravid 30*, A Jadeja
2*)
The slow left arm spinner, Mohammad Sheikh replaced Suji from the City end,
and with his turn and bounce had Dravid openings his eyes wide as he pushed
at a delivery turning across him. Sunil Joshi in the change rooms must have
liked what he saw.
With the singles coming quite easily and Ramesh cutting Tikolo to the
third-man fence India progressed to 97/1 with Ramesh on 39 and Dravid on 25.
Ramesh, still struggling with his footwork and timing was content to give as
much of the strike as possible to Dravid. With the field being spread after
Dravid's attack, gaps appeared for Ramesh to play into.
Spin was introduced in the 25 th over with Steven Tikolo replacing Ababu.
Immediately he found some sharp turn on the slow pitch giving away only two
runs. India 71/1 (S Ramesh 24*, R Dravid 15*)
With two of the slower Indian batsmen at the crease the run drought
continued. At a stage of the game where singles should be looked for, the
inspired Kenyans seemed to be fielding exactly in the correct places. India
52/1 (S Ramesh 18*, R Dravid 2*)
Anthony Suji replaced Odoyo and soon received the same treatment from
Ganguly, this time the ball landing just short of the boundary. In the same
over Ganguly, from the back foot, punched a great four through the covers.
Ganguly's aggression, and Kenya's pressure, got the better of him as he
again tried to hoist Martin Suji over the long on fence only to be caught by
Odoyo who made some ground to get under the ball and take a very good catch.
Ganguly out for 21 off 38 balls which included two fours and the one six,
and India 35/1.
Rahul Dravid was the next Indian batsmen in and Odoyo, maybe as reward for
the catch, being brought back on at the City end. This did not last long as
after one over Anthony Suji was back on.
Ramesh was starting to get his timing going and cover drove Martin Suji, in
his eighth consecutive over, for a classy four, his first of the match.
India 42/1 (S Ramesh 12*, R Dravid 1*)
Kenya into survival mode
Just when everyone thought that Kenya was playing out the 50 overs, Suji
decided to change the script or got a rush of blood and lashed out at
Bhardwaj smashing a cover drive through the off side field for four and
helping Kenya to seven runs off the 36 th over.
Kenya close to the white towel
Bhardwaj was brought on for Joshi in the 30 th over and after being struck
for a neat flick four past mid-wicket by Vadher he induced the batsman into
a false front foot shot to take a return catch and send Vadher packing for
18 off 64 balls including two fours and Kenya 76/6 .
Kenya down but not quite out
Prasad came on for one maiden over to allow Joshi to change to the LG end
and Chopra joined the attack in the 17 th over.
Kenya's runs dry up
Joshi, the star from the previous game, made his appearance in the 12 th
over replacing Prasad (6-1-24-2) and gave away 5 runs, a slashing cut from
Vadher for four and a single to backward square leg, nearly the same amount
of runs he gave away against South Africa in 10 overs.
Kenya rolling in pain
At the end of the sixth over Odumbe edged a ball from Mohanty into his box
and after rolling around in a lot of pain continued his innings. With his
foot work not what it should be, after the blow amidships, he managed to
edge Prasad to the keeper and with a shake of the head and a score of five
off 18 balls with one four headed for the comfort of the change-rooms. Kenya
were slummed at 21/3 .
India strike early
Needing 221 to win Kenya had to make a solid start to give them any chance
on a difficult slow pitch. Opening for Kenya was Kennedy Otieno and Ravindu
Shah and for India Venkatesh Prasad and Debashish Mohanty.
End of innings for India
Bhardwaj showed his class at the end of the innings using his feet and
playing the ball at will, cutting and driving to all areas of the field.
India show their class
Jadeja on 10, and in the 42 nd over counted himself very lucky. Charging
down the pitch to Odumbe he missed and somehow Kennedy Otieno dropped the
ball with Dravid standing two meters out. Otieno having already dropped a
catch then had to watch as Jadeja finished the over off with a six to long
leg.
Kenya keep the pressure on
Odumbe struck again in the next over with Dravid chipping a catch to long
on, and Alpesh Vadher taking a great one handed catch above his head. If
Dravid had only played a full shot he would have easily cleared the fence
but left the field with 30 from 56 balls including two fours.
Ramesh goes to his 50
Sheikh having trouble with his line and length was slowly undoing the great
job that the other bowlers had done. Ramesh showing that his best shot of
the day was the cut, sent another of Sheikh's ball to the third-man boundary
to bring the hundred up for India in the 32 nd over. At this stage Sheikh
had given away 17 runs in his three overs and was duly replaced by Maurice
Odumbe.
India rebuild the innings
Well into the middle overs, Ramesh and Dravid, made use of the gaps towards
long off and long on to take singles when offered. These four singles per
over started putting some respectability back into the Indian innings.
Kenya contain
Dravid got things back onto the road in the 23 rd over. Using his feet he
lofted Ababu over the infield for a four to long on, and then with Ababu
dropping the next ball short sent it soaring, one bounce, into the
mid-wicket fence.
India crawl along
With the sun starting to come out Josephat Ababu, the medium paced bowler,
replaced Martin Suji at the LG end. Apart from one wide he bowled a tidy
first over to Dravid conceding only the one run. At the other end, the City
end, Anthony Suji pushed the wide count to 10, and helped Ramesh to his
second four, a flashing cut past a diving backward point to bring up India's
50 in the 18 th over.
India lose first wicket
Ganguly eventually deciding that the score was a bit dormant, erupted down
the pitch and blasted Suji, swinging inside out, over the long off boundary
for six.