After a rain-marred day in Canberra on Saturday, India’s preparations for the pink-ball Check in Adelaide had been restricted to a 50-overs-per-side follow recreation towards the Australia Prime Minister’s XI on Day 2.
It’s not fairly often that we see a 50-over recreation being performed in all whites with a crimson or pink ball. Although red-ball 50-over matches had been a standard sight within the ’90s, the final worldwide ODI with the crimson ball and white clothes curiously concerned India, once they hosted Zimbabwe in 2000.
Of their remaining recreation of a five-match collection on December 14, 2000 – India’s final fixture of the twentieth century – the groups performed an ODI in white flannels with the crimson ball.
Observe our liveblog of the second day of the India vs Australia Prime Minister’s XI Check right here: IND vs PM’s XI day 2
India gained the match by 39 runs, as a well-rounded efficiency by the present nationwide selector Ajit Agarkar noticed the facet cross the road comfortably. He scored 67 off 25 deliveries, aided by a quickfire half-century in 21 balls. By the way, Agarkar eclipsed Kapil Dev’s report of twenty-two balls to turn into the quickest Indian participant to attain a half-century in ODIs, serving to India cross the 300 on the scoreboard. He partnered up with Reetinder Sodhi who scored 53 off 67 balls.
Watch Ajit Agarkar’s quickest ODI fifty
Agarkar then went on to choose three wickets within the match as Zimbabwe was bundled out for 262, incomes him a well-deserved Man of the Match award. Curiously, the match additionally marked the primary time Rahul Dravid captained the Indian facet forward of his future full-time because the skipper throughout codecs.
India finally gained the collection 4-1 after downing Zimbabwe 1-0 within the Check collection that preceded the limited-overs video games.
Twenty-four years later, India are taking part in the same format towards PMXI in Canberra, regardless that the sport won’t warrant a spot within the official report books.