Graeme Cremer
Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
FIVE changes to the team could not prevent Zimbabwe from being whitewashed by India, as the tourists effortlessly cruised to a 10-wicket win in the third and final One Day International Killer Cup series at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Taurai Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza and Tendai Chatara made way for Timycen Maruma, Neville Madziva, Malcolm Waller, Tawanda Mupariwa and Donald Tiripano, but a shocking batting capitulation saw Zimbabwe being felled without a fight.
Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bat, but again crumbled from 104 for four to be dismissed for 123 runs in 42.2 overs. Vusumuzi Sibanda was the hosts’ top scorer with 38 runs. Four of the wickets were lost to consecutive balls as the pathetic display, which has characterised the home team’s batting in the middle order throughout the series, was again on display.
Right-arm pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah was the tormentor-in-chief of the Zimbabwean batsmen with impressive figures of four wickets for 22 runs.
India made no effort on their way to victory, with man of the series Lokesh Rahul top scoring with an unbeaten 62 runs. He also put on an unbroken 126-run stand with debutant Faiz Fazal, who smashed 55, as the visitors reached 126 with no sweat. It was India’s 51st victory over Zimbabwe in 63 ODIs and the second time that the Asians had won by 10 wickets in a 50 overs contest.
Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer won the toss for the first time in the series and chose to bat on what appeared to be a good batting wicket.
India resisted the temptation to field many debutants, even with the series wrapped up, with only left-handed batsman Faizal becoming the 214th Indian to appear in an ODI in place of Karun Nair. Zimbabwe lost their first wicket with 19 runs on the board in the sixth over when Hamilton Masakadza swung wildly at a Dhawal Kulkarni delivery to be caught at first slip by Rahul for eight runs.
Sibanda almost perished before opening his account, attempting a big shot on the leg-side off the bowling of Barinder Sran, and was lucky to be dropped at mid wicket by Yuzvendra Chahal.
Chibhabha and Sibanda put on 34 for the second wicket, but their partnership was expensive, consuming 90 deliveries.
Leg spinner Chahal ended the stand, with Chibhabha attempting to accelerate the scoring only to be snared at long off by Bumrah to depart for 27 off 66 balls.
Just when Zimbabwe looked to build an innings, Sibanda lobbed the ball back to Chahal, who held on to the catch and the veteran batsman was on his way back to the pavilion for a 71-ball innings made up of two fours and one six. Maruma looked comfortable at the crease until his off stump was dislodged by Bumrah for 17. Zimbabwe’s innings then fell apart when they lost four wickets from four deliveries. Bumrah claimed Elton Chigumbura’s wicket for a duck, caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Waller was run out for eight runs attempting a tight single and Cremer was trapped leg before wicket by left-arm spinner Axar Patel for a first ball duck.
Richmond Mutumbami was Bumrah’s third wicket, caught by Rahul for four runs as Zimbabwe further slumped to 108 for eight. Mupariwa’s outside edge was taken at second slip to become Bumrah’s fourth victim, while Donald Tiripano’s hesitancy to go for a single saw him being run out by Kulkarni.
By lunch break, India had progressed to 23 runs in seven overs, with 101 runs required for victory. Rahul reached his half century from 58 deliveries by despatching four fours and one six, while Faizal raised the bat for his maiden ODI 50, which came off 58 balls in which he slammed six fours and one six.
Cricket fans who turned up for the ODI series suffered the misfortune of not seeing Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni batting since the star batsman was never required to take to the crease in all the three matches.