India continued their winning streak on the tour with a 54-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first game of the two-match T20I series. The top-order helped the visitors to 178 for five after electing to bat in the afternoon. While Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay got India off to a solid start with a 64-run opening stand; remaining unbeaten on 39, Robin Uthappa ensured the visitors posted a healthy total. Claiming three for 17 on debut, Axar Patel then wrecked the hosts’ line-up with Harbhajan Singh to keep Zimbabwe to 124 for seven.
Earlier, Vijay was in sublime touch as he caressed the ball along the ground or eased it to the fence. The openers didn’t allow the Zimbabwe bowlers to settle down. In the third over, Rahane welcomed debutant Taurai Muzarabani with a boundary past mid-wicket while Vijay slammed him in front of mid-off to add nine in the over and set the tone of the innings. In the bowler’s next, Vijay pulled him for six and followed up with two boundaries - on the on-side and past third-man to collect 17 runs from it.
India were cruising along until a direct hit from Sikandar Raza at mid-wicket sent Vijay back. An over later Rahane departed chipping Graeme Cremer towards point where Hamilton Masakadza took the catch. The return of the openers pegged the run-rate back a bit.
However, Uthappa held the innings together and took India to a respectable total but the visitors were a few runs short of what they would have liked. He engaged in a 45-run partnership for the third wicket with Manish Pandey until the debutant was done in by a slower ball from Chris Mpofu and departed heaving it towards long-off where it was caught by Raza. He had earlier, lofted Cremer over mid-wicket for six as the pair had worked to build on the platform laid by the openers.
The pacer undid the Indian middle-order and reined in the visitors. In his next, the bowler accounted for Kedar Jadhav by taking the pace off the ball.
Stuart Binny, who then came out to bat with 15 balls left, slammed Madziva straight for six but was sent back by Mpofu in the last over. Looking to go over the top, he only managed to find Cremer at deep mid-wicket. Harbhajan Singh who then took guard survived and was let off by Chamu Chibhabha as he swung his bat to add useful runs. With a powerful boundary off the last over the senior player helped set the hosts a 179-run target.
While Bhuvneshwar Kumar was once again accurate and kept Masakadza and Chibhabha on their toes conceding only three runs in two overs, the openers milked debutant Sandeep Sharma. While Chibhabha lofted the pacer’s first ball in International cricket over long-on, Masakadza slammed him over long-leg two balls later.
The openers had put together 55 runs until Chibhabha taking the aerial route to Harbhajan was caught by Pandey. The fielder took a running catch near the long-on area and gave India their first breakthrough. Charles Coventry then swept the off-spinner to get off the mark.
In the next over, Patel followed-up with the wickets of Masakadza and Elton Chigumbara. While the opener hit to short fine-leg, the hosts’ skipper was castled by the arm-ball.
Coventry returned in the next; hitting Harbhajan to Rahane at short mid-wicket. A direct hit by Mohit Sharma from mid-on sent back Craig Ervine 14 runs later.
At 82 for five and a little over six overs left, Zimbabwe faced an uphill task. Once again with the arm ball, Patel cramped the batsman and uprooted Raza’s leg-stump. 10 balls later, Mohit dismantled Cremer’s stumps with the slower delivery to put India firmly in the driver’s seat.
Prosper Utseya later delivered an onslaught in the penultimate over with Madziva breaking the shackles in the last. Both remained unbeaten on 13 and 14 respectively as the hosts failed to scale the target.
Man of the Match: Axar Patel for his three for 17 to help the team to victory on T20I debut
