2nd T20I: India level series 1-1 with 10-wicket win

NEW DELHI: For the fourth time in the home series against India, Zimbabwe batsmen failed to put up a decent score on the board and India cantered home with a big victory, this time in the 2nd T20I to level the three-match series 1-1. Chasing 100 runs to win, Indian openers – KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh – saw their team home with ease with 41 balls to spare at the Harare Sports Club on Monday.

2nd T20I: India level series 1-1 with 10-wicket win

2nd T20I: India level series 1-1 with 10-wicket win

After Zimbabwe’s shock win over India in the first T20I, hopes of a challenging encounter in the 2nd match were high as Zimbabwe had the chance to seal a historic series win over their more-fancied opponents. But a top-order meltdown meant Zimbabwe found themselves reeling at 57 for 5 by the 12th over and with no Elton Chigambura heroics for the hosts to rely on down the order, Zimbabwe managed just 99 for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs and the target proved little too easy for India.

The victory marked India’s first ever 10-wicket triumph in a T20I and second best win in terms of balls remaining. The best for India came against UAE when they achieved the target of 82 in 10.1 overs, 59 balls to spare, earlier this year.

Rahul made the most of his second opportunity, after departing for a golden duck in his maiden T20I in the first match, with a fluent knock of 47 not out off 40 balls.Mandeep chanced his arm well and got away with a couple of streaky shots to score his maiden T20I fifty off 40 balls with the help of six fours and one six.

The match was setup for India by the bowlers early on as Barinder Sran, playing in place of Rishi Dhawan, returned the second best figures for a debutant in a T20I – the best for an Indian – with 4 for 10, while Jasprit Bumrah became the highest wicket-taker (24) in T20Is for this year en route to his 3 for 11. Peter Moor (31) was the top-scorer for Zimbabwe.

The score is a fry cry from what Zimbabwe posted in the 1st T20I and the Rahul and Mandeep made short work of the target. After opting to bat first, Zimbabwe skipper Graeme Cremer would have hoped for a good start from his openers, similar to what Hamilton Maskadza and Chamu Chibhabha (10) did in the first T20I, but Sran separated the duo as early as in the third over when Chibhabha miscued a slower one and was caught at mid-on by Ambati Rayudu.

Maskadza cracked Dhawal Kulkarni for two fours in the fourth over, but a wild swipe at a length delivery off Sran has Maskadza walking back for ten runs. Sran continued his wicket-taking spree with the scalps of Sikander Raza (caught at gully) and Tinotenda Mutombodzi (lbw) in the same over to put Zimbabwe in trouble at 28 for 4 by the fifth over.

Source From : indiatimes.com

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