Shubman Gill's captain innings of 66 off 49 balls and Ruturaj Gaikwad's whirlwind 49 off 28 balls followed by a combined 5-wicket haul from Washington Sundar and Avesh Khan helped India secure a comfortable 23-run win over Zimbabwe to take a 2-1 lead in the third T20 international at Harare.
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| Shubman Gill plays a shot © AFP/Getty Images |
Zimbabwe vs India 3rd T20I at Harare Sports Club, 10th July 2024 - Captain Shubman Gill played a great anchor role. Ruturaj Gaikwad disrupted at number four. And Washington Sundar proved that even ordinary off-spin can be brilliant. In the end, India took a big step towards winning the five-match T20 International series against Zimbabwe by winning the third match by 23 runs to take a 2-1 lead.
Gill made 66 off 49 balls while opening the batting and his partner Yashasvi Jaiswal made 36 off 27 balls, laying the foundation for Gaikwad to hit 49 off 28 balls as India posted 182 for 4. Washington then took three wickets for 15 runs, including two in his first over.
Zimbabwe managed to stave off the inevitable thanks to a brilliant half-century from Dion Myers (which was his first in T20 Internationals) and his 77-run partnership with Clive Madande.
The return of three players from the T20 World Cup-winning squad forced a change in India's strategy. Whenever India plays without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Jaiswal plays the opener and again comes at the top with Gill. As a result, Abhishek Sharma, fresh from his maiden international century in the second T20I, and Gaikwad had to play at number three and four.
Jaiswal smashed two fours and a six in the first over. Gill did the same in the second over. India scored 29 runs in two overs and then 49 in four overs. Then Blessing Muzarabani found his length and pace to bowl on a two-paced surface. Sikandar Raza's spin was hard to stop. And from 0 for 54 in five overs, India slipped to 0 for 67 at the end of eight overs. That led to Jaiswal's dismissal - missing a switch hit to backward point.
Abhishek spent some time at the crease, bringing Gill and Gaikwad together in the 11th over. Wesley Madhevere's only over - the 13th over of the innings - gave India a chance to change gears. Gill first hit a six off the legspinner, then Gaikwad hit a six and a four. Gaikwad also used his feet regularly against the pacers and kept Tendai Chatra and later Richard Ngarava, who replaced Luke Jongwe in the Zimbabwe XI, away with his length.
Gill hit a 36-ball half-century, his first as India's T20 captain. However, despite a long batting order - Washington was promoted at No. 8 - India were in danger of finishing on a low total, at 130 for 2 after 16. Then Raza's 18-run over - which included four byes and a six each from Gill and Gaikwad - got them going. But the extra bounce on the surface troubled Gill in the 18th over when he tried to loft Mujrabani over cover but it went to the runner. Gaikwad hit some mighty shots but fell one run short of fifty.
India finished at 182, which was no small feat at all. Two half-century partnerships - 67 off 50 balls between Gill and Jaiswal and 72 off 44 balls between Gill and Gaikwad - had got India there, and at the innings break, Jaiswal felt it was enough. He was helped by a few missed chances, two dropped catches (one each by Jaiswal and Gaikwad) and a couple of misfields.
When Chatra failed to hold on to a delivery from Jaiswal in the first over, little did Zimbabwe know that it was a sign of things to come. In the next over, Mayers was a little late to react to Gill's top edge and the ball went past him running through midwicket. Jaiswal and Gaikwad got a lifeline. A few half-chances were missed. The miscues on the field were mostly due to routine efforts, which meant India got off to a fast start despite facing 22 dots in the powerplay. Overall, India had a 31-run advantage, according to ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball data. The final winning margin was just 23 runs. Zimbabwe lost their way, and it was too late to find it again
Tadiwanashe Marumani replaced Innocent Kaiya, who had a crack in his webbing, and got off to a brilliant start at the top of the order. He hit two boundaries in the first over bowled by Khaleel Ahmed - who replaced Mukesh Kumar - but fell trying to repeat the same dose in his next over. From the other end, Avesh Khan first dismissed Madhevere, who took a single to short cover, and then Brian Bennett, thanks to a brilliant flying catch by Ravi Bishnoi at backward point.
When Raza crossed the line to hole out at deep square leg off Washington's second delivery, victory looked certain. Things got better for India - and worse for Zimbabwe - when substitute fielder Riyan Parag took a sharp catch at slip to dismiss Johnathan Campbell off Washington four balls later.
But Myers and Madande had other plans. India's decision to include all the players who returned from the T20 World Cup left them with fewer bowling resources. As a result, Abhishek and Shivam Dube had to bowl four overs together. Myers and Madande did not let them settle down and together hit six fours and two sixes. India scored 50 runs in those four overs. Due to the early lead, they did not suffer on the day.