Vusumuzi Sibanda
Mehluli Sibanda in Harare—
INDIA eased to a series victory with a game to spare in the Killer Cup One Day International cricket contest against Zimbabwe with an eight-wicket triumph in the second match at Harare Sports Club yesterday. A pathetic batting show by Zimbabwe saw the hosts being restricted to 126 runs in 34.3 overs, with the highest contribution coming from Vusumuzi Sibanda’s 53 runs off 69 deliveries.
Man of the match Yuzvendra Chahal took three wickets for 25 runs. Ambati Rayudu was the highest scorer for India with a 44-ball unbeaten 41 as the tourists cruised to an effortless 129 for two in just 26.5 overs with 139 balls to spare.
It was yet another appalling display with the bat by Zimbabwe after being sent in to bat first in cloudy conditions. Zimbabwe collapsed from 106 for four in the 25th over after their best partnership between Sibanda and Sikandar Raza was broken. Their situation was further compounded by an injury to Sean Williams, who could not bat due to a middle finger injury. Ironically, Williams had replaced Craig Ervine, who had been ruled out by a hamstring injury.
It was clear that the game would come to an early conclusion, judging by the way Zimbabwe batted in the first ODI, when India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni called correctly for the second consecutive occasion and sent in the home team to bat after winning the toss.
Left-arm seamer Barinder Sran opened the bowling and registered a maiden over, with Hamilton Masakadza facing all his deliveries.
Zimbabwe’s opening partnership of Masakadza and Chamunorwa Chibhabha produced 19 runs before the pair was separated in the fifth over when Masakadza fell to Sran for nine runs, caught at third man by Jasprit Bumrah.
Sran struck again to remove Peter Moor leg before wicket (LBW) for one from nine balls. Chibhabha was also trapped LBW by Dhawal for 21, leaving Zimbabwe hobbling at 39 for three in the 10th over.
Sibanda and Sikandar Raza brought some stability to the Zimbabwean innings, with the former reaching his 21st ODI 50 off 58 balls, with six fours and one six. A boundary off the bowling of left-arm spinner Axar Patel took Sibanda to his half ton.
Raza departed for 16, caught by Kedar Jadhav off the bowling of leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, while trying to clear the boundary. Elton Chigumbura was trapped LBW for a duck by Chahal, but the impressive leg spinner was denied a hat-trick by new batsman Richmond Mutumbami, who blocked the next delivery.
A poor shot led to Sibanda’s demise and Chahal’s third wicket, with the aid of Jadhav. Mutumbami got a bottom edge off the bowling of Bumrah to walk for two off 14 balls, as Zimbabwe slumped to 112 for seven. It was soon 115 for eight; Tendai Chatara bowled by Kulkarni for two off six deliveries.
The Zimbabwean innings ended when Taurai Muzarabani was trapped LBW by Patel for five runs. With India requiring a low run rate of 2.54 per over, Chatara had Karun Nair caught behind for 10, but the Indian opener was told to wait as the umpires checked for a no-ball and reviews confirmed the bowler had overstepped.
Nair made good use of his let off, smashing the free hit for four runs. By the time the lunch break was taken, India had progressed to 48 for no loss in 13 overs. There was some cheer for the small crowd when Lokesh Rahul, scorer of an unbeaten century on debut in the first ODI, dragged one onto his stumps off the bowling of Chibhabha for 33 runs.
At that stage, India needed 69 runs to win with nine wickets in hand. Raza removed Nair for 39, but there was no denying the tourists their well deserved victory.
The two teams meet in the final ODI tomorrow, with the danger that fans might not see star batsman Dhoni at the crease in the ODI series, unless India are sent in or elect to bat first.