'It did put a lot of pressure on us...': Washington Sundar reveals tense moment during match after leading India to convincing win over Zimbabwe

Washington Sundar won the Player of the Match award for his stunning spell of 159/6 in India's commanding 23-run win over Zimbabwe in the third T20I.

Profile

Abhijeet Kumar Singh

India's Washington Sundar (left), Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan (right) in this frame. (X)

India's Washington Sundar (left), Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan (right) in this frame. (X)

Highlights:

Washinton Sundar was adjudged the Player of the Match for his stunning spell in India's win.

Sundar notched a robust spell of 3/15 to restrict Zimbabwe to 159/6.

Team India emerged victorious in the third T20I against Zimbabwe, securing a 23-run win and a crucial 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The match, played at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday, saw a well-rounded performance from the visitors. Off-spinner Washington Sundar was the hero with the ball, showcasing exceptional control and bowling smarts. His frugal spell of 3 wickets for just 15 runs in 4 overs proved decisive in restricting Zimbabwe's chase. Sundar's dismissals of key batsmen like Sikandar Raza, Jonathan Campbell, and Clive Madande effectively stifled the home team's momentum.

Earlier, India set a challenging target of 182 runs on the board. Captain Shubman Gill led the charge with a well-paced 49-ball 66, while Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a quickfire knock of 49 runs from just 28 deliveries.  However, sloppy fielding from Zimbabwe throughout India's innings certainly aided in reaching such a strong total.

 

ALSO READ: WATCH - Virat Kohli's biggest fan asks Zlatan Ibrahimovic about ex-IND captain, teaches football legend about the cricket 'GOAT'

 

Avesh Khan provided valuable support to Sundar with his 2 wickets for 39 runs, while Khaleel Ahmed kept things tight with an economical 1-15 spell.  Zimbabwe fought valiantly, particularly with a 77-run partnership between Dion Myers and Clive Madande, but ultimately fell short of the target. Myers' maiden T20I half-century (50 runs) wasn't enough to prevent a series deficit for the hosts.

With this win, India has firmly taken control of the series after dropping the opening encounter. They will be looking to capitalize on this momentum in the remaining matches.

 

Washington Sundar was adjudged the Player of the Match for his stunning spell of 3/15 in which he picked key wickets. However, there came a point where Washington felt the pressure when Dion Myers and Clive Madande started brewing partnership between them. Zimbabwe were reeling on 39/5 with half of their side in the hut. Then came Madande who stitched a 77-run partnership with Myers to launch Zimbabwe's fightback. Their partnership took Zimbabwe from a precarious position to 116. But Washington then hunted down Madande in the 17th over to derail Zimbabwe's chase yet again. While Madande scored a fighting 37 off 26, Myers remained Zimbabwe's top scorer with an impressive 65 off 49.

 

ALSO READ: 'Picking players that aren't first-choice': Michael Vaughan condemns Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum for overlooking County Cricket talent

 

After the match, Sundar admitted that Myers and Madande's partnership did put a lot of pressure on Team India.

 

“Feels amazing and every time I play for the country, it feels amazing. It was definitely a better wicket, in the first two games there was more for the bowlers compared to this game, our batters batted well. (On the partnership between Myers & Madande) It did put a lot of pressure on us and we wanted to execute our plans the best we can to restrict them. Hopefully, we get to see a lot of places in Zimbabwe and explore more, hopefully we can seal the series on Saturday,” Washington said at the post-match presentation.

 

India will look to seal the series when they next face Zimbabwe in the fourth T20I on July 13.

 

MORE ON SPORTS TAK:

'the wheels came off today': Sikandar Raza blames openers and fielders after Zimbabwe's second consecutive loss against India

Gautam Gambhir's wife Natasha reacts to his appointment as head coach, writes 'Because he deserves to lead...'

Brett Lee compares Jasprit Bumrah to Brad Pitt’s character in ‘The curious case of Benjamin Button’

    Share