KANPUR. India. Dec II Skipper Saurav Ganguly claimed a career-best 5-35 and then hit an tin

bvaleii 71 "If i>8 balls as India dumped Zimbabwe by nine wk kets here on Monday to win the one-day series, reports AFP

Ganguly's star turn with his slow medium-pace bowling shot Zimbabwe out for 165. a target India cruised past with half the allotted 50 overs to spare at the Green Park

Sachin Tendulkar scored 62 in a first-wicket stand of 157 with Ganguly, the 12th three-figure partnership between the dim that left them just three short of the record tally of 15 between Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge of the West

1 he win gave India a decisive 3 1 lead In the five-match rubber and reduced Thursday's final game al Rajkot to an academic exercise.

The Indians have not lost a home one-day series, excluding the World Cup. since 198/ when Imran Khan's Pakistan swept lo a 5-1 win.

I was really upset when we lost the third match at Jodhpur." Gaugulv said. "So this win is particularly satisfying. I had been looking for a 5-0 margin, but 4-1 will not be bad."

Tie- Indians also won the two- fest series 1-0 during Zimbabwe's six-week tour

Nothing went right lor the tourists after captain Heath Streak won the toss and elected to bat in the slow, dry wicket that hampered shot making

The innings fell apart despite an opening stand of 60 between Alistair Campbell and Trevor Madondo.

Seamer Ajit Agarkar. who finished with four for 25. began the rout by removing both Campbell and Madondo in the space of eight deliveries.

Ganguly did not look back after having Andy Flower caught on the mid-wicket fence by Agarkar for 19 tn his second

He bowled Grant Flower and Stuart Carlisle with deliveries that kept low. had his counterpart Streak caught behind and then trapped Travis Friend leg-before.

Tempers flared on the field when Guv Whittall complained to match referee Barry' Jarman through the stump microphone about excessive appealing from Ganguly.

Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid exchanged words with Whittall. who was separated from the fielders and spoken to by the umpires

The fracas did not help Whittall as he was run out next ball by wicket-keeper Vijay Da litya attempt Ing a risky single.

When India batted. Tendulkar stroked his way lo bis 50th one-clay half-century, aciding to his record tally of 27 hundreds.

SCOREBOARD

Full scoreboard o! the fourth one-day international between India and Zimbabwe on Mon-

ZIMBABWE

Campbell b Agarkar 32

Madondo lbw b Agarkar 32

A Flower c Agarkar b Ganguly 19

Carlisle b Ganguly 20

G Flower b Ganguly 6

Wllittall run out 13

Streak c Daluya b Ganguly 3

Extras Ib-b. lb-1 I w-10. uh II 28 Total. (All oiil In 15 4 oversi 16'

Fall of wickets 1-60. 2-71. 3-91 4-106. 5-134. 6-1 II. 7-142 8 1 19 9 IS9

Bowler O M R W

Zaheer 80 19 0

Prasad 8 0 32 0

Agarkar 9.4 0 25 4

Kapoor 7 0 26 0

Ganguly 10 I 35 5

Sriram 3 0 II 0

INDIA

Ganguly nol out 71

Tendulkar lbw b Friend 62

Sriram nol out 1

Extras: (b-9, lb-9, w-9. nb-5) 32

Total: (For I wk( In 25 overs) 166

Fall of Wickcl; I 157

Bowler O M R W

Friend 5 0 40 I

Strang 10 2 29 0

Streak 3 0 26 0

Olonga 5 0 41 0

Nknla 2 0 12 0

Result: India won by nine wickets

yesterday.

Nkala b Agarkar

Friend lbw b Ganguly

Strang no< out

Olonga c and b Agarkar

— AFP photo

I Man-of-the-match: Saurav

t, Ganguly.

0 Next match: December 14.

2 Chennai.