By Ken Borland
HARARE, Sept 22 - Hamilton Masakadza and Andy
Blignaut scored half-centuries but Zimbabwe were still fighting
off an innings defeat at lunch on the third day of the second
test against India on Thursday.
Zimbabwe, who needed 205 runs to make India bat again, were
190 for six in their second innings, with Masakadza unbeaten on
67 and Blignaut on 59. The pair have shared a partnership of 105
off 121 deliveries, a record for the seventh wicket for Zimbabwe
against India.
Zimbabwe looked likely to be all out some time before the
lunch break when they lost two wickets in the first eight overs
of the day to slump to 85 for six.
But Masakadza played a series of beefy drives before he
reached his third test half-century, off 99 balls, with a
sweetly-struck slog-sweep for six off leg-spinner Anil Kumble.
Zaheer Khan claimed Heath Streak's wicket, caught by
Vangipurrapu Laxman at second slip for eight, with the third
ball of the day, but had bad luck after that with three catches
dropped off his bowling from successive deliveries.
Blignaut had breezed to his sixth test half-century off 57
deliveries by the break, including effortless off-drives for six
off Kumble and Saurav Ganguly.