Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S teenage cricketers were once again hugely undone by woeful batting as they went down to India by 204 runs in the opening ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Super-Six encounter at Queens Sports Club yesterday.
Chasing a target of 353 set by the Asians, Zimbabwe was bowled out for a paltry 148 runs.
An unbeaten century by India’s Vihaan Malhotra proved to be the difference as India powered to an unassailable 352 runs for eight after Zimbabwe won the toss and skipper Simbarashe Mudzengerere opted to field.
The Asians got off to a blistering start as their top order punished the hosts with some exquisite and aggressive shot-making.
The opening pair of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Aaron George put 44 runs off 26 balls for the first wicket, while the former added another 56 runs off 38 balls together with skipper Ayush Mhatre for the second wicket stand.
By then, India were in firm control of the match as they were 100 runs for two inside the first 10 overs of the match.
The start had many fearing that the Asians could put up an excess of 400 runs on the board.
With Zimbabwe’s batting struggles well documented, anything in that region would have been a herculean task.
However, Zimbabwe struck back a bit, as three quick wickets saw the hosts bring some semblance of balance with India on 130 runs for four, six overs later.
Tatenda Chimugoro was responsible for all three strikes.
His victims included Sooryavanshi, who he had caught by Mudzengerere at mid-off for his 52 runs off 30 balls.
Chimugoro then had both Mhatre and Vedant Trivedi caught behind by wicketkeeper Nathaniel Hlabangana as the Indian duo walked back to the pavilion with his 21 runs off 19 balls and 15 runs off 18 balls respectively.
India’s top order had played the roles to perfection before the arrival of Malhotra, who then frustrated the Zimbabwe bowlers for the rest of the innings.
The India middle-order batter put up an unbeaten 109 runs off 107 balls, which featured seven boundaries.
He also shared a match-defining fifth-wicket partnership with Abhigyan Kundu that saw the duo pile up 113 runs off 115 balls as India finished their innings on 352 runs for eight wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
Malhotra finished as India’s top-scorer while Sooryavanshi and Kundu chipped in with 52 and 61 runs off 62 balls respectively.
Chimugoro finished as the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers, taking three wickets for 49 runs while the duo of Panashe Mazai and Mudzengerere chipped in with two scalps each.
Zimbabwe’s chase was short and uneventful as, once again, the hosts’ batting weaknesses were laid bare.
In the chase of 353 runs for the victory, they got off to the worst possible start as opener Hlabangana lost his wick-et in the second ball of the innings.
Zimbabwe opener was trapped leg-before-wicket by RS Ambrish for his two-ball duck.
His partner, at the other end, Dhruv Patel did not last long either as he was caught behind by Kundu off the bowling of Henil Patel for his eight runs off nine balls.
The duo of Kian Blignaut and Leeroy Chiwaula tried to stabilise the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership that went for 69 runs off 109 balls.
It was one of two partnerships that deceived many into believing Zimbabwe could mount a comeback of sorts with Chimugoro and Chiwaula sharing a 49-run partnership off 41 balls for the fifth wicket.
Chiwaula top-scored for the hosts with 62 runs off 77 balls while Blignaut chipped in with 37 runs off 73 balls.
Their wickets signalled the end of Zimbabwe’s fight as they went from 142 for five to 148 all-out in the blink of an eye.
In fact, Zimbabwe lost their last five wickets for just seven runs.
The duo of Udhav Mohan and Mhatre finished as the pick of the Indian bowlers, claiming three wickets each.
Ambrish also chipped in with two wickets for 19 runs while Henil and Khilan Patel claimed a scalp each for an all-round effort from the Asian bowlers.
After the match, Zimbabwe skipper, Mudzengerere, stuck to his guns that bowling first was the right call.
“I would stick with that option,” he said.
“I think it was just a matter of execution.
“If we had executed better early on, we could have taken more wickets and restricted them.
“The bowlers were bowling a bit too full, which wasn’t necessary at the time. They also didn’t adapt well to the conditions or the boundary dimensions, despite knowing how the wicket was playing,” said Mudzengerere.
For his unbeaten 109 runs off 107, Malhotra was duly awarded the Player of the Match.
“It is a great feeling to contribute to the team with the bat and I had a great day and game today.
“It was hot today (yesterday) and we have been having cloudy, windy weather where the pacers were getting help from the wicket.
“However, the heat made the pitch play much nicer, so it was good to be out there,” he said.
