At the turn of the millenium, if there was one team that the cricket world was looking forward to see do well, it was Zimbabwe. In the period between 1999 World Cup and 2003, Zimbabwe made steep progress, aided by some of the finest cricketers ever produced by the country in the Flower brothers, Heath Streak and Alistair Campbell.
It was playing more cricket than in the past and was no more a minnow who could be taken lightly. Then the 2003 World Cup happened and in it took place the black armband protest by Henry Olonga and Andy Flower. Since then Zimbabwe’s cricket has plummeted to depths and brilliant performances by their cricketers have been far and few.
Ahead of the bilateral ODI series against India, here is a look at some of the best performances by Zimbabwe cricketers in their encounters with Indians
1. 138 by Brendan Taylor, Auckland, 2015
Brendan Taylor was playing his last ODI for Zimbabwe and saw his team tottering at 33-3 when he decided enough was enough. He joined forces with Sean Williams and went on smashing the Indian bowlers all around the Eden Park in Auckland to compile a good looking 138 that lifted the team to 287. His knock was studded with 15 fours and 5 biggies.
The right-hander later admitted that it was the best he had batted in his 11 year Zimbabwe career. However, as so often in his career, his best efforts came to naught as his bowlers made a meal of a strong target of 287.
After having India on the mat at one stage in the chase, Zimbabwe failed to deliver the knockout punch as Dhoni and Raina stitched a 196 run partnership to see India through. Irrespective of the result of the match, Taylor’s fine innings will go down as one of the best played by a Zimbabwean in ODIs.
2. 145 by Andy Flower, Colombo, 2002
Andy Flower loved the Indian bowling attack and had a Bradmanesque 94 average against India in Tests. He averaged a more human but still formidable 40ish in ODIs against India. Unlike Brendan Taylor’s ton, this century came in the chase.
After being set a daunting target of 288 by India, who themselves looked all but gone at 82-5 before Mohammad Kaif and Rahul Dravid bailed them, Zimbabwe were struck early blows by India’s new ball bowlers.
Andy Flower then steadied the innings with his brother Grant and unleashed a flurry of boundaries. However, a sluggish pitch and little support from the middle order ensured that the left hander’s herculean effort went to waste as Zimbabwe fell short by 14 runs.
3. Henry Olonga 3-22, Leicester, 1999
India’s campaign in the 1999 World Cup was struck a crucial blow when Sachin Tendulkar had to fly back to India after his father’s sad demise. One man who was happy to not see a Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian batting line-up was Henry Olonga who was at the receiving end of his battering when the Little Master blasted Zimbabwe for 124 off 92 balls the last time Zimbabwe faced India.
Olonga started waywardly though in India’s chase of 252 and it was Heath Streak and Neil Johnson who brought India to their knees and left them tottering at 175-6 before Robin Singh and Nayan Mongia steered the team to safety.
With 9 runs needed off 2 overs and 3 wickets in hand and most importantly danger man Robin Singh still there, the match looked in India’s pocket. Captain Campbell threw the ball to Olonga, much to everyone's surprise. 6 balls later, the match was over. Zimbabwe had won by 3 runs. Olonga had struck thrice in the same over to snatch an improbable victory for Zimbabwe.
4. Heath Streak 5-32, Bulawayo, 1997
Heath Streak had already shown what he was capable of when he brought Sachin Tendulkar to his knees when he bowled the batsman with a scorcher in the 1996 World Cup. Although he couldn’t manage to get the Little Master’s wicket this time in Bulawayo, he sent the middle and lower order packing to dismiss India for a paltry 161.
He first sent back Ajay Jadeja and then came back to break a stubborn 64 run partnership between Robin Singh and Anil Kumble. Once Kumble was out, the floodgates opened and India went on to lose the last 4 wickets for 9 runs, all of them going to Streak.
The Zimbabweans later chased down the revised total of 139 with ease to go one up in the series.
5. Eddo Brandes 5-41, Paarl, 1997
The chicken farmer from Zimbabwe was a delight to all those who wanted fisty characters on the field. And he had his days with the ball also. At least in that month of January 1997, Brandes could do anything with the ball.
With a fifer including a hat-trick against England three weeks ago, the barrel-chested Brandes was at it again against India after the batsmen gave Zimbabwe 236 to defend.
Brandes first removed Tendulkar and then had pinch hitter Javagal Srinath played on to ensure India’s chase never took off. He then bowled a peach to get rid of Azharuddin and came back later in the innings to snuff the life out of India’s chase when he pegged Ajay Jadeja’s off stump back.
Brandes’ job wasn’t over as Robin Singh’s lusty hitting, in the end, brought the equation to 2 off 1 ball. Brandes bowled a wide but compensated by collecting the wicket keeper’s throw and taking down the stumps at the non-striker’s end to run Robin Singh out and tie the match.
6. Douglas Marillier 1/53 & 56*, Faridabad, 2002
In Perth against Australia in 2001, Douglas Marillier had played just 5 balls but what he did in those five deliveries with his unorthodox batting overshadowed Damien Martyn and Stuart Carlisle’s century efforts in that match. But surely, India wasn’t watching that match. So, when Douglas Marillier walked in to bat at number 10 with 67 runs needed off 34 balls in Faridabad, India didn’t anticipate anything that transpired in the next 30 minutes.
He faced 24 balls and kept scooping them behind the keeper’s head to fetch himself 10 boundaries and a six. Indian bowlers had no answer to his unorthodox shots and skipper Ganguly was clueless what field to set to the right hander. In the end, Zimbabwe pulled off a miraculous victory with the help of Marillier’s heroics. Marillier had earlier dismissed India’s captain Sourav Ganguly when he was threatening to break loose.
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