Harbhajan's best

By Mohandas Menon

Harbhajan Singhs bowling figures of 6-37 in the second innings against CFX Academy was the best for an Indian team on Zimbabwean soil. He bettered the previous best of 6-43 by left-arm spinner Maninder Singh for Young Indians against Zimbabwe at Harare in March 1984. However the best bowling

performance by an Indian in the African continent belongs to leg- spinner Chandu Borde when he claimed 8-52 (and 12-178 in the match) for a Commonwealth XI against Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) at Kitwe in September 1962.

With Harbhajan claiming 10-80 in the above match, the other Indians to take 10 or more wickets in a first-class match in Zimbabwe are: Borde (see above), 11-138 by Maninder Singh (see above) and 10-53 by Anil Kumble for the Indians against ZCU Presidents XI at Harare in October 1998.

Although India has won only two Test matches abroad since the last 15 years, the team however has managed to win at least five first-class matches against local teams on official tours since 1996. Here are the details of some the matches won by Indian teams abroad since last five years. Beat Guyana - by 91 runs at Georgetown in April 1997; beat ZCU Presidents XI - by innings & 71 runs at Harare in October 1998; beat Wellington - by 8 wickets at Wellington in December 1998 ; beat New South Wales - by 93 runs at Sydney in December 1999 ; beat CFX Academy - by 226 runs at Harare in June 2001.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Harbhajan bowls Indians to win
Next     : Trescothick hits century