Two Saturdays apart, the mood couldn’t have been more different in Harare. After being bowled out for 102 while chasing 116 in the first T20I, India overpowered Zimbabwe in the fourth match, winning by 10 wickets to clinch the series 3-1. Sure, it was on a fresh pitch – one where the ball came along quite nicely with the new ball especially – but it still underscored how India have managed to turn things around after that rusty start.
And leading that charge was Yashasvi Jaiswal. How do you tell an opener who just smashed a 47-ball 100 with 10 sixes that you have to bat at No 3 immediately from the next match? Suppose it becomes easier to explain when the player replacing you at the top is someone as talented as Jaiswal. Abhishek Sharma’s stunning century in the second match notwithstanding, India went with Jaiswal as Shubman Gill’s opening partner the moment the Mumbaikar was available to play and he offered up a reminder that he deserved that every bit with a boundary-filled 53-ball 93. India scored 156/0 to canter home after arguably Zimbabwe’s best batting performance in the series wasn’t nearly enough.
Sample this for his dominance: Zimbabwe hit 10 fours in their 20 overs as they made a fairly solid 152/7. But the Indian openers hit 10 fours in the first 4 overs, with Jaiswal racing off the blocks to hit 8 of those himself. He finished with three fours more than Zimbabwe (13) and one fewer six (2) as India broke the run-chase early to cruise through to the finish line.
For his opening brilliance of 9⃣3⃣* off just 5⃣3⃣ deliveries, @ybj_19 is named the Player of the Match 👏👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/AaZlvFY7x7#TeamIndia | #ZIMvIND pic.twitter.com/yqiiMsFAgF
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 13, 2024
It wasn’t all bad from Sikandar Raza’s men though. Having been asked to bat first, they had their best start to a batting innings this series. Their highest opening partnership before this match was 9. But after a couple of superb deliveries from Khaleel Ahmed to start the match, Wessly Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani found some early momentum. An overthrow for four, balls strayed on the pads, and a dropped catch (albeit a tough one) by Shivam Dube all played a part as India struggled to breakthrough.
But an impressive 63-run partnership came to an end thanks to India’s part-timers. Marumani was playing well but as it happens against a non-regular bowler, a not-so-great ball ened up resulting in a wicket. Abhishek, who didn’t get to bat but showed once more that he is a handy bowler in a T20 set-up, struck first with a short ball but benefited due to the longer boundary on one side. Zimbabwe’s next wicket would fall the same way, as Shivam Dube too got in on the act the very next over to dismiss Madhever.
India applied the brakes just enough before Raza’s fireworks. Speaking at the toss, captain Gill identified death overs bowling as an area of concern for this Indian bowling unit. Death bowling is not supposed to be easy. If it were, cricket would perhaps use a less ominous phrase to describe it. And so India leaked some runs in the backend, thanks mainly to the aggressive approach of Raza.
Washington Sundar, who has otherwise had a fine series with the ball so far, was hit over midwicket on the longer side by a brilliant Raza slog. Khaleel Ahmed went for 18 runs in an expensive 17th over. Ravi Bishnoi conceded five wides with a wild delivery in the 18th. But Tushar Deshpande, expensive on debut, dismissed Raza and Khaleel closed out with a double-wicket 20th over as India ended up conceding 54 runs off the last 30 balls.
A target of 153 did however feel sub-par despite Raza hoping the pitch would slow down further. The key to the chase was the start Jaiswal provided, racing to a 29-ball half-century, while Gill took his time. The skipper was on 15 off 16, then smashed a six over extra cover off Raza for a shot-of-the-series contender. In the very next over, he slapped two forehand square cuts for two fours, and followed by a punch past mid-off. His strike rate went from below 100 to 160 in the space of 2 overs and he finished unbeaten on a 39-ball 58.
“Today you just have to hold up our hands and say they batted us out of this game,” Raza said at the end. “We weren’t able to chase in the first match, so very pleasing to do that today,” Gill added. In the end, it was a one-sided contest just a week after a famous Zimbabwe win set up the series quite fascinatingly.
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