IND vs ZIM, 2nd T20I: India (192/5) beat Zimbabwe (157/7 in 20 overs) by 35 runs in Harare, win series 3-0
India ended their tour of Zimbabwe on a high, completing a comprehensive 3-0 T20I series whitewash with a 35-run victory over the hosts at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
The triumph offered Shreyas Iyer’s side much-needed redemption after a forgettable tour of the United Kingdom, where India failed to register a single victory against Ireland and England. While a clean sweep over Zimbabwe cannot erase the disappointment of that disastrous campaign, it has at least provided the Men in Blue with renewed confidence ahead of a busy international season.
India vs Zimbabwe, 3rd T20I: Updates | Scorecard
The victory also capped off a memorable weekend for India, who had reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I rankings following Saturday’s win. Sunday’s success ensured they completed their first 3-0 T20I series whitewash over Zimbabwe since 2010. For the hosts, it marked a second successive bilateral series defeat after their recent loss to Bangladesh.
SOORYAVANSHI DAZZLES AGAIN WITH FEARLESS DISPLAY
India’s innings suffered an early setback when Abhishek Sharma’s difficult series continued. The left-hander managed only two before edging Blessing Muzarabani behind, with the Zimbabwe pacer dismissing him for the third consecutive time in the series.
If Zimbabwe sensed an opening, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi quickly shut the door.
The 15-year-old prodigy once again played with maturity far beyond his years, taking the attack to both the seamers and spinners from the outset. Alongside Ishan Kishan, he ensured India dominated the powerplay despite losing an early wicket, maintaining a scoring rate well above ten runs an over.
Sooryavanshi brought up his second T20I half-century in just 31 balls before shifting into another gear. His clean striking, fearless intent and excellent placement kept Zimbabwe’s bowlers under constant pressure as boundaries flowed freely.
A maiden international century appeared inevitable before Wesley Madhevere produced the breakthrough. Attempting another attacking stroke, Sooryavanshi mistimed a lofted drive, with Brad Evans completing a fine diving catch at long-off to end a magnificent innings of 81 from 49 deliveries that featured eight fours and four sixes.
Although the teenager narrowly missed out on a memorable hundred, he had already laid the perfect platform.
Ishan Kishan chipped in with a fluent 29, captain Shreyas Iyer added a brisk 27, while Rinku Singh provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 25 off just 14 balls as India piled up an imposing total that always looked beyond Zimbabwe’s reach.
INDIA PACERS RIP THROUGH ZIMBABWE
India’s bowlers once again underlined why they had dominated the series from start to finish.
Mayank Yadav wasted no time making an impact, removing Brian Bennett with the very first ball of Zimbabwe’s innings for the second time in the series. It was the third occasion in his T20I career that Mayank had struck with the opening delivery of an innings, joining Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the only Indian bowlers to achieve the feat three times.
Yash Thakur then dismantled Zimbabwe’s top order by dismissing Dion Myers before producing a superb caught-and-bowled effort to remove captain Sikandar Raza for his second successive duck of the series. Suddenly on a hat-trick, Thakur searched for another wicket, only for Ryan Burl to deny him by dispatching his very first ball to the boundary.
Ashok Sharma also deserved better returns. The youngster was left frustrated after Ishan Kishan spilled a regulation catch behind the stumps to deny him an early wicket. However, Sharma refused to let the missed opportunity affect him and eventually claimed his maiden international wicket by bowling Tadiwanashe Marumani with a superb delivery that crashed into the stumps.
BURL BATTLES ALONE, BUT INDIA DOMINATES
To Zimbabwe’s credit, they refused to surrender without a fight.
Ryan Burl and Wesley Madhevere stitched together a determined 60-run partnership for the fifth wicket, frustrating India’s attack and briefly raising hopes of an unlikely comeback. Madhevere mixed caution with aggression in his 28 before Mayank Yadav returned to break the stand, leaving Burl to shoulder the responsibility almost single-handedly.
Burl continued to battle admirably, bringing up a gritty half-century from 42 deliveries with a boundary and keeping the scoreboard moving despite wickets falling around him. However, Zimbabwe simply lacked the support required at the other end.
Mayank, Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi and Ashok Sharma kept chipping away with timely breakthroughs, ensuring the required rate climbed beyond Zimbabwe’s reach. Despite a few dropped catches and the occasional fielding lapse, India’s bowling attack remained disciplined enough to close out the contest comfortably.
Zimbabwe eventually finished on 161/7, handing India a 35-run victory and a deserved 3-0 series sweep.
After the misery of their UK tour, India finally have something to smile about. The opposition may not have been among the world’s elite, but the performances of youngsters like Sooryavanshi, the continued brilliance of the pace attack and the return to the top of the T20I rankings have given the team valuable momentum.
– Ends
