ZIMBABWE went down fighting against India, the reigning T20 World Champions, losing the third T201 by 23 runs at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.
After winning the toss, India captain Shubman Gill elected to bat first, hoping to post a challenging total on the board.
The decision proved to be a wise one as the world champions, reinforced by the inclusion of Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the T20 World Cup squad, as well Khaleel Ahmed put up a commanding performance.
Despite some sloppy fielding from the hosts, the Indian top order laid the foundation for a strong total.
Gill led from the front, scoring a blistering 66 off just 49 balls, while Ruturaj Gaikwad chipped in with a handy 49. The pair put together a crucial 72-run partnership to propel India to a decent 182/4 in their 20 overs.
In response, Zimbabwe’s chase got off to a disastrous start, with Washington Sundar picking up three crucial wickets, including two in his opening over, to dent their hopes.
However, Dion Myers and Clive Madande put up a spirited fight, forging a 77-run partnership to give the home crowd something to cheer about.
Myers, playing his first impactful innings in T20Is, led Zimbabwe’s resistance with an unbeaten 65 off 49 balls, but the damage done early on proved too much to overcome.
Despite the valiant effort, Zimbabwe fell short of the target, finishing at 159/6.
The return of the T20 World Cup-winning players forced a change in India’s tactics, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill forming a new opening partnership.
Jaiswal’s aggressive start with two fours and a six in the opening over set the tone for the innings, while Gill stabilised the innings.
Although Zimbabwe’s bowlers, led by Blessing Muzarabani and Sikandar Raza, managed to slow down the scoring rate in the middle overs, the late onslaught from Gill and Gaikwad propelled India to a good total.
In the end, India’s all-round performance, coupled with some sloppy fielding from Zimbabwe, proved to be the difference as they took a 2-1 lead in the series.
Myers who had always wanted to play for the Chevrons is happy by his perfomance on the crease and hopes for a better performance as a team.
“I’ve been dreaming about playing for my country since I was a young boy. And to hopefully contribute in some way means the world as well.
So I expect lots more to come from this team going forward, and I’m very excited for the future, ” Myers said.
“If I’m being honest, I think it’s brilliant to learn, it’s brilliant to be in the firing line, and I’m a big believer if a situation presents you a tough circumstance, are you going to stand up, or are you going to just let it go and dribble away? It was a great experience for me, personally, I didn’t take it in a confidence-downer sort of way, I thought there’s some things I need to work on, and much like the Indians, I’m sure they’re still trying to improve, so that’s how I’m taking it, and that’s how the rest of the boys are taking it.”
Zimbabwe can take pride in their fighting spirit despite the defeat particularly the performances of Myers and Madande, which will give them confidence going into the remaining matches.
