After being put in to bat by Zimbabwe, India laboured in the early part of their innings, but battling half centuries from Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Dhoni and Youvraf Singh saw India amass 226 for the loss of six wickets from their 50 allotted overs, which was probably 40 or 50 below their expectations.

Zimbabwe failed to even get close to the modest total, and crumbled in all too familiar fashion. They finished all out for 65 runs, or 161 short, after just 23 overs.

The architects of the home side's collapse were Pathan (5-27) and Agarkar (4-18), who cut a swathe through a woeful batting line-up in which only two batsmen made double figures, four registered ducks and the third highest score was extras, at nine.

"We couldn't hit the straight ball," said Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu. "There is so much work to do."

The home side also lost the opening game of this triangular series, going down by 192 runs to New Zealand.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly certainly had his eye on their next game with the Kiwis after dismissing Zimbabwe.

"We batted quite well, but we need to get partnerships together at the top of the innings," he said.

"That will be essential against New Zealand in our next match."

Now Zimbabwe take up their role formally as makeweights with eight days and three matches still to go in the series.

The match began with India being the side in trouble. Virender Sehwag, who was suffering from a fever, was replaced by Venugopala Rao, who was out with the fifth ball of the day.

Ganguly looked unsettled and he eventually scooped a ball from Anthony Ireland to Charles Coventry behind square leg.

India were looking insecure on 55-2 and the struggle for quick runs continued. Rahul Dravid was out for 14, clean bowled by off spinner Prosper Utseya and at 95-3 they were managing a rate of only 3.5 an over.

Mohammad Kaif was holding the fort, but just when he had decided he had better increase the pace he was caught and bowled for 65 by Gavin Ewing, scoring just seven fours. It was his 13th half century.

Yuvraj and Mahendra Dhoni then forced the pace together, starting with the former hitting the first six of the innings off Utseya.

As their partnership for the fifth wicket gathered pace, the runs came more freely and they put on 103 runs before Dhoni went for 56, his maiden half century. Yuvraj's 53 was his 18th half century.

They put the rate up to four in the 46th over as Taibu brought back the seamers Streak and Blignaut.

It was Streak who lent the Zimbabwe innings an ounce of decency, his 18 not out rescuing a situation where the top-order batsmen had crumbled to 35-7.

The 10th wicket stand of 22 runs between Streak and Utseya, who scored 11 before handing Harbhajan his wicket, was the highest of the day for the home side.

In the next match of the triangular tournament here on Wednesday, Zimbabwe come up against New Zealand, whose coach John Bracewell has had to return home following the death of his mother-in-law.