By: Tarish Bhatt
Zimbabwe were expected to give a young Indian Cricket Team a run for their money. But, it didn’t turn out like that, and the Indian team managed to seal the series with back-to-back impressive wins.
Team India, again, handed Zimbabwe a thumping win at the Harare Sports Club to seal the three-match series with still a game to be played. India won the match by eight wickets, with 139 balls to spare.
The Indian bowlers were at their best in a conditions helping them. They first ripped through Zimbabwe’s top-order with the new-ball, and then wretched havoc with the old-ball, too.
Both Barinder Sran and Dhawal Kulkarni used the early morning conditions pretty well, but it was the former who produced a couple of breakthroughs in the first hour. Kulkarni utilised the old-ball and chipped-in with two.
Yuzvendra Chahal weaved the magic of his leg-spin and derailed Zimbabwe’s recovery, which they initiated with Vusi Sibanda and Sikandar Raza. He dismissed Raza and Elton Chigumbura in successive balls, and then got rid of half-centurion Sibanda in the next over.
After Sibanda’s dismissal, Zimbabwe collapsed like a pack of cards, and from 106 for 3 were all our for 126 in just 34.3 overs. Indian Cricket Team went on to chase the total comfortable at the end.
In a one-sided win, India got a solid 58-run opening stand from KL Rahul and Karun Nair. Rahul, who was again looking good, was dismissed after the lunch break, but Karun went on to play till the end.
He, along with Ambati Rayudu, added 67 runs for the second wickets. Karun was unfortunate to get out when just two runs needed to win. Manish Pandey, who came after Karun’s departure, hit a boundary to seal the match and the series.
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