Stomata located beneath the cotyledons of 7-day-old chickpea seedlings were the preferential infection court for zoospores of Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. medicaginis. Zoospores also accumulated preferentially in the root-hair zone. Penetration usually was intercellular between anticlinal epidermal cell walls, but intracellular penetration did occur via infection pegs produced from swollen germ-tube tips. Although no differences in prepenetration or penetration events were found between a field resistant (CPI56564) and a susceptible cultivar (ICC6334) of chickpea, hyphal growth rate of the fungus was greater through wounded roots of the