India rode on Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar's exceptional performances to get the better of Zimbabwe by 23 runs in the third T20I in Harare. With this win India have taken an unassailable lead of 2-1 in the five-match series after an upset in the first match. Team India posted a challenging total of 182/4 after Shubman Gill's 66 off 49 and Ruturaj Gaikwad's 49 off 28. In reply, Zimbabwe never looked at ease in the chase and eventually were gunned down for 159/6 after Washinton Sundar's exceptional spell of 3/15.
Zimbabwe's chase began disastrously. Avesh Khan struck early in the second over, dismissing Wessly Madhevere caught at short cover. Khaleel Ahmed followed suit, removing Tadiwanashe Marumani who skied a delivery to Shivam Dube at mid-on.
The misery continued for Zimbabwe. Brian Bennett was the next to depart, courtesy of a stunning catch by Ravi Bishnoi. Their captain, Sikandar Raza, wasn't far behind, holing out to deep mid-wicket off Washington Sundar's bowling. With just 39 runs on the board and 5 wickets down after 7 overs, the hosts' situation looked bleak.
However, a glimmer of hope emerged with a 77-run partnership between Dion Myers and Clive Madande. The duo kept Zimbabwe in the contest, but the required run rate climbed steadily. Madande attempted to up the ante against Sundar in the 17th over, but only managed to find Rinku Singh in the deep, leaving his team at a precarious 116/6.
Despite losing his partner, Myers continued to fight. He reached his maiden T20I half-century (50 off 49 balls), but his valiant effort wasn't enough to secure victory for Zimbabwe.
Earlier, India showcased a powerful batting display against Zimbabwe in the third T20, reaching a total of 182 for 4 wickets. Opting to bat first on a fresh pitch, they surprised everyone with their selection choices.
The team included World Cup winners Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson alongside Shivam Dube, leaving out middle-order players like Riyan Parag. This resulted in a unique batting order with four specialist openers: Jaiswal, Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad occupying the top four positions respectively. Jaiswal, who didn't get a chance to play in the T20 World Cup win, wasted no time showcasing his talent. He started aggressively, hitting boundaries and a six off the very first over. Gill joined the party with some elegant shots, including a gorgeous on-drive and a six over fine-leg.
Zimbabwe's fielding was a major letdown. They dropped catches and conceded extra runs throughout the innings. Blessing Muzarabani was the only bowler who impressed, picking up two wickets with his extra bounce.
India started strong, reaching 49 runs without losing a wicket in just four overs. However, the pace slowed down after the powerplay, with the total reaching 55 runs with both openers still at the crease. The breakthrough came from Zimbabwe's captain, Sikandar Raza. Jaiswal's reverse sweep was caught at backward point, ending his innings. Abhishek Sharma, who scored a century in the previous match, wasn't as lucky and was dismissed shortly after. Coming in at an unfamiliar batting position, Gaikwad handled the situation well. He capitalized on the spin bowling in the middle overs, finishing his innings with 49 runs, including four boundaries and three sixes.
India will look to seal the series when they next face Zimbabwe in the fourth T20I on July 13.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Brett Lee compares Jasprit Bumrah to Brad Pitt’s character in ‘The curious case of Benjamin Button’
