Zim v Ind 3rd T20I Review: Jadhav’s fifty seals the series for India

A lot was on stake as India locked horns with Zimbabwe for the one last time on their tour to Zimbabwe this season. For the hosts, it was about winning the game and sealing a historic win, while a win for the visitors would have completed their thorough dominion on the tour this year.

India, as expected, went in with an unchanged side into the game and skipper MS Dhoni was very direct in sticking to his winning combination. Having won the toss, the Zimbabwe skipper Graeme Cremer opted to bowl first. The Indian openers, KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh, knew that the wicket wasn’t the easiest to bat on and hence started off cautiously.

However, the cautious approach didn’t last long. Mandeep Singh, who came into the game riding on an unbeaten half-century in the previous game, departed cheaply on just 4 as Donald Tiripano got the early wicket for Zimbabwe in the 4th over. Ambati Rayudu joined Rahul at the crease. However, the opener departed soon after in the very next over when Neville Madziva cleaned him up on 22 that came off 20 balls.

In walked Manish Pandey but only to be run out on the very first ball that he faced. A direct hit from former Zimbabwean skipper Elton Chigumbura saw him walk back to the pavilion. Kedar Jadhav then stood firm with Ambati Rayudu to revive the Indian innings, that was reeling on 27/3 in 5 overs. They started off slowly as India could score just 53 in the first 10 overs. However, they upped the ante soon after.

Ambati Rayudu perished in his attempt to accelerate in the 13th over, after adding 49 runs for the 4th wicket with Jadhav. Rayudu’s 20 runs came in 26 balls. Skipper MS Dhoni walked in the middle and all eyes were on him yet again. However, his stay lasted just 13 balls before he played on a delivery from Tiripano to be dismissed on 9. Axar Patel was the new man in with 22 balls to spare in the innings.

Meanwhile, Jadhav played a gutsy knock and notched up a half century in tricky conditions. He perished soon after though, in the 19th over on 58 off 42 balls with 7 fours and a six. Axar Patel’s late hitting, an unbeaten cameo of 11-ball 20 saw India crawl to 138/6 by the end of their 20 overs. For the hosts, it was Donald Tiripano, who was the pick of the bowlers with 3/20.

The Zimbabwean run chase did not kick off in the best of fashion as Barinder Sran got rid of Chamu Chibhabha in the third over of the innings on just 5. Hamilton Masakadza was then joined by Vusi Sibanda in the middle, who looked to be in a flying mood already. He smacked quick boundaries to unsettle the Indian bowling line up and took special liking to Dhawal Kulkarni.

His partner, Masakadza, could not do much and failed yet again as he perished for 15 off 21 balls. It was Axar Patel who got the key breakthrough. Sibanda continued striking the ball cleanly before Dhawal Kulkarni got him out on 28 that came off 23 balls with 5 boundaries. With his departure, Zimbabwe were 60/3 in 10.3 overs. Peter Moor and Malcolm Waller were the batsmen at the crease. The duo looked calm in the middle and kept the scorecard moving.

Peter Moor gave a good long scare to the Indian team during his knock of 26 runs that lasted 21 balls. He launched 3 maximums into the stands and no wonder the Indian skipper had a lot to ponder about. It was Yuzvendra Chahal, who had the last laugh though as he got rid of him in the 14th over. In walked the danger man Elton Chigumbura. However, Chigumbura struggled to middle the ball.

Meanwhile, Waller was dismissed by Kulkarni and the Zimbabwe needed 32 to win off the last 2 overs. Timycen Maruma was the man who came at the crease. Jasprit Bumrah came in to bowl the penultimate over. It was all going in India’s direction until Maruma’s last ball six kept the hosts interested as they needed 21 off the last over to win. It was Barinder Sran with the ball to bowl the last over.

Some anti-climax awaited as Maruma hit a six of the first ball and Sran followed it up with a wide and a four off the no ball. Suddenly the equation was down to 9 off 5. Sran held his nerves then and did exceedingly well to bowl 2 dot balls and a single to reduce the equation to 8 from 2 with Chigumbura on strike. Chigumbura hit a boundary to make it a déjà vu of the first game. However, it was Zimbabwe chasing this time around.

It was Sran who had the last laugh as he dismissed Chigumbura to seal the game for India. India won by 3 runs to win the series 2-1.

Brief Scores:

India – 138/6 in 20 overs (Jadhav 58, Rahul 22, Tiripano 3/20)

Zimbabwe – 135/6 in 20 overs (Sibanda 28, Moor 26, Kulkarni 2/23)