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Winning the toss and electing to field first, the decision paid for the world champions as they restricted Zimbabwe to 228 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs and this proved quite an easy chase for the Asians.
Supported by a good bowling performance from Amit Mishra, who closed with figures of 3-43 in 10 overs, India tightened the screws on Zimbabwe before Sikanda Raza Butt scored his maiden One-Day International half-century as he top scored for Zimbabwe but his efforts were not well complimented.
Elton Chigumbura’s unbeaten 43 from 34 deliveries and opener Vusimuzi Sibanda’s 34 off 72 balls were Zimbabwe’s top scorers but this was not good enough to stop the Asians as they later ran away with the game.
Kohli led from the front with 115 off 108 deliveries with 13 fours and a six while Rayudu posted a respectable 63 after facing 84 balls with four fours as India cruised to victory. India’s first wicket fell in the seventh over after Shikhar Dhawan (17 off 21 with three fours) was caught behind by Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor off a Chigumbura delivery to leave his side at 26/1 before Rohit Sharma (20 off 40 balls) followed to the pavilion with the last ball of the 13th over.
But it was in the morning that Zimbabwe’s Raza Butt (82 off 112 deliveries with six fours and three sixes) was bowled by Mishra having stood through six partnerships and his dismissal sparked huge celebrations from the India camp as he had troubled them for the better part of the innings. Mishra’s figures of 3-43 in 10 overs saw him finishing as the pick of the bowlers and his value for India could not be underestimated as he was responsible for three key Zimbabwe batsmen.
First he broke the opening partnership of Sibanda and Raza Butt in the 22nd over after he trapped the former following a full delivery that pitched just outside off stump but tricked the batsman as it turned in.
Then Hamilton Masakadza (11 off 12 balls) did not stay on the crease for long as he might have wanted to but he was next in Mishra’s firing line and it was with the fourth ball of the 34th over that the Zimbabwe top order batsman was clean-bowled as he tried to hit down the ground. Then there could not have been a better day of celebrating for India than when Mishra bowled Raza Butt after he moved forward too early, lost balance and was bowled as he tried to pull across, sparking huge celebrations in the India camp for the man who had troubled them for the better part of the innings was gone.
Raza Butt knocked around the ball well and knew was good at shot selection as he batted through six partnerships before taking the long walk back to the pavilion.
The India attack turned the screw on Zimbabwe in the first stages of the game as the opening partnership of Sibanda and Raza Butt struggled to make a mark but managed to maintain their partnership.
Zimbabwe’s 50 came up in the 16th over and 13 overs as they reached the 100-run mark, moments before Raza Butt got his half-century off 88 deliveries with four fours.
Debutante Unadkat was responsible for claiming the scalp of Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor (12 off 15 balls), who seemed undecided and was caught in the midst of confusion off a rather simple delivery, gifting Raina, at deep square leg, with a simple catch for a soft dismissal. Sean Williams (15 off 29 deliveries) was the second man out after he was forced back to the pavilion by Raina, who did not turn his delivery, beating Williams, who was looking forward to a turn, to leave Zimbabwe on 105 for the loss of 2.
Zimbabwe then suffered a huge setback when they lost four wickets in 10 overs from the 33rd over as Mishra claimed two valuable wickets in the form of Butt and Masakadza and it was the latter he started with.
And exactly five overs from then Taylor followed before Raza Butt.
Scoreboard: Zimbabwe
V. Sibanda lbw b Mishra 34
S. Raza b Mishra 82; S. Williams b Raina 15
H. Masakadza b Mishra 11;
B. Taylor c Raina b Unadkat 12
M. Waller b Ahmed 2; E. Chigumbura not out 43
T. Mutombodzi c Dhawan b Vinay Kumar 8
P. Utseya not out 8; Extras (2b, 7lb, 4w) 13
Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 228
Fall of wickets: 1-72 (Sibanda), 2-105 (Williams), 3-119 (Masakadza), 4-162 (Taylor), 5-166 (Waller), 6-176 (Raza), 7-205 (Mutombodzi).
Did not bat: K. Jarvis, T. Chatara.
Bowling: Vinay Kumar 9-1-57-1, Shami Ahmed 10-1-45-1, Unadkat 10-1-39-1, Jadeja 10-3-33-0, Mishra 10-1-43-3, Raina 1-0-2-1.
India
R. Sharma c Taylor b Chigumbura 20
S. Dhawan c Waller b Jarvis 17
V. Kohli c Sibanda b Utseya 115
A. Rayudu not out 63; S. Raina c Raza b Utseya 0
D. Karthik not out 8; Extras (1lb, 5w, 1nb) 7
Total (4 wkts), 44.5 overs) 230
Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Dhawan), 2-57 (Sharma), 3-216 (Kohli), 4-216 (Raina).
Did not bat: R. Jadeja, A. Mishra, Shami Ahmed, R Vinay Kumar, J. Unadkat.
Bowling: Jarvis 8-0-40-1, Chatara 9-0-30-0, Chigumbura 5-0-30-1, Utseya 10-0-34-2, Mutombodzi 7.5-0-65-0, Williams 3-0-18-0, Masakadza 2-0-12-0; Toss: India. Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM)
TV umpire: Jeremiah Matibiri (ZIM)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
Result: India won by six wickets.
Series: India lead the five-match series 1-0.
Online Reporter