India complete third successive triumph in Coca-Cola Cup

India continued their run of success in the triangular tournament, with a six-wicket victory over West Indies, who found themselves two wickets down after three overs on a flat but sluggish pitch, and were never in the game thereafter.

On another clear Bulawayo morning, India won the toss again and put West Indies in. Perhaps the move was due to some suspicion of early life in the pitch, although in the present dry conditions that was likely to be minimal, and also because they are playing a predominantly seam attack, resting Harbhajan Singh.

West Indies lost Chris Gayle (0) in the second over, trapped back on the crease without footwork and lbw to seamer Harvinder Singh, recalled to the Indian team after a long absence. Daren Ganga (2) followed, caught in the covers off a leading edge to Debashish Mohanty, and West Indies were reeling at 2 for two wickets, with the bowlers finding a good amount of swing, even if the pitch gave them little help.

Wavell Hinds and Shivnarine Chanderpaul struggled against good bowling, most of their runs coming in quick singles. Eventually Hinds (9), frustrated, lashed out at Mohanty and gave Reetinder Sodhi his second catch in the covers. Chanderpaul (10) followed a ball from Harvinder that moved away, edged to the keeper, and at 26 for four West Indies appeared virtually out of the match. Mohanty's opening spell of seven overs cost just 8 runs for two wickets. Sharp Indian fielding also kept the runs to the minimum.

After 20 overs West Indies were only 33 for four, but then Carl Hooper decided to open up more. He hit Zaheer Khan high over his head for four but, tied down, hit the same bowler to mid-on to be caught for 14. In the 25th over, West Indies were in desperate need of a miracle at 47 for five.

They didn't get one, but at least Marlon Samuels played a calm, responsible innings, ably assisted by Ridley Jacobs. The pair added 72 most commendably in 92 balls before Mohanty returned to break the stand, having Samuels (44) caught at deepish mid-on. Mahendra Nagamootoo (17) continued the good work until he was out to a fine full-stretch return catch by Khan, just before Jacobs reached an invaluable fifty off 69 balls.

Mohanty finished with three for 18 off his ten overs, and India never really lost their control, hard though the West Indian lower order tried. Jacobs, as he has done so often, held it all together, this time with 53 not out, and West Indies finished on 169 for seven.

India began their reply quietly, almost somnolently, scoring just 24 without loss in the first ten overs. The West Indian bowling was not particularly threatening but it was accurate enough to restrict the scoring, especially Cameron Cuffy, and Sachin Tendulkar was again surprisingly restrained; he did not reach double figures until the 14th over but had less than his share of the bowling.

Sourav Ganguly (20) was first to go, controversially given out caught down the leg side. Cuffy completed his ten overs for just 20 runs, taking one wicket, the next one falling ironically to the erratic Wavell Hinds, who had Dinesh Mongia (8) caught at the wicket. Rahul Dravid began with a sweetly timed drive through midwicket for three, but had added only a single when he unexpectedly came down the pitch to Mahendra Nagamootoo to be 'gated' and stumped.

Tendulkar on 46 appeared to have a fortunate escape from being given out caught at the wicket off Hooper. Soon afterwards he reached his fifty off 86 balls. He then began to open up and the remaining West Indian hopes disappeared rapidly. Badani scored 27 before he skied a return catch to Mervyn Dillon, but Virender Shewag (11) stayed with Tendulkar (81) until victory was completed without pressure and with more than six overs to spare.