Zim v Ind, 2nd ODI Review: India clinch the series with 8-wicket win

India clinched the 3-match ODI series with two wins in the first two matches, with a match to go. The visitors have been untroubled in the second ODI at Harare, bowling out the opposition for just 126 runs and chasing it down in 26.5 overs and with 8-wickets in hand.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni was happy to put the opposition into bat after winning the toss and the home side had struggled from the very beginning. Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha opened the innings and the duo struggled to counter the swing of Barinder Sran and Dhawal Kulkarni.

After a lot of inswingers on middle and leg, Sran had thrown one wide outside off and Masakadza flashed on it to end up in the hands of Jasprit Bumrah at deep third-man. In his next over, the left-arm pacer had Peter Moor leg-before-wicket, which was probably a wrong decision from the umpire, with the hawk-eye showing the ball going over the stumps.

Soon after, the hosts lost Chibhabha who had got a start with his 21 off 26 balls. Kulkarni claimed the wicket getting him leg-before-wicket, while he was trying to play across the line. Sikander Raza and Vusi Sibanda managed to add 67 runs for the 4th wicket and Zimbabwe was looking well on their way to post a target over 240.

But they fell down like a deck of cards, from 106 for 3 to all out for 126 runs. Raza who had been struggling to middle the ball tried to heave Yuzvendra Chahal for a six, but only finds Kedar Jadhav at deep mid-on and that’s where the collapse had begun. Next man in, Elton Chigumbura was dismissed for a golden duck putting Chahal on a hat-trick chance.

Then it was, Sibanda who had gone past half-century, gave it away looking for a big shot against Chahal. He tried to slog-sweep a full delivery outside off and paid the price for playing against the spin. Chahal ended up picking 3 wickets for 25 runs, whereas Sran and Kulkarni picked up 2 each.

In the chase, India had a good start with the opening pair adding 58 runs, in which Karun Nair was dismissed by Tendai Chatara earlier in the innings, but was overturned by the umpire as the replays showing that it was a no-ball. Century scorer of the previous match, KL Rahul chopped on a delivery from Chibhabha, when he was going well on 33.

Then it was, Ambati Rayudu ,who stood with Karun Nair and added 67-runs for the 2nd wicket before the latter was adjudged leg-before wicket with India needing just 2 more runs to win. Manish Pandey came out at no.4 and hit a boundary to seal the victory for India

Brief Scores:

Zimbabwe: 126 all out in 34.3 overs (Vusi Sibanda 53; Yuzvendra Chahal 3/25)

India: 129/2 from 26.5 overs (Ambati Rayudu 41*, Karun Nair 39, Chamu Chibhabha 1/31)

India won by 8 wickets

Man of the match: Yuzvendra Chahal