Batting sensation Abhishek Sharma cracked his maiden international century in India's emphatic victory over Zimbabwe in the second T20I in Harare on July 7, Sunday. Abhishek's blistering century came after dismal outing on his India debut where he notched a four-ball duck in the first T20I against Zimbabwe on July 6. The question that rises post his impactful knock is whether he will continue to retain his opening spot after T20 World Cup-winner Yashasvi Jaiswal will be joining the side from the third match. Jaiswal flew in Zimbabwe early on the July 7, few hours before the second T20I. With India skipper Shubman Gill hinted on being happy on having the option of Abhishek Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opening options with himself from the third T20I onwards. It will be interesting to see what changes will the team make with all the squad members being available for selection. After the 23-year-old has bagged a ton and Jaiswal has too joined the squad and was the first choice pick as opener in India's T20I scheme of things. It will be all on the team management to see if they are going to stick with the same batting order, or switch positions in the lineup or leave out a player.
It's always good to have more options rather than not having options: Shubman Gill
Right after the match, Gill made his intentions clear by saying it's alway good to have more options rather than not having option.
“Very happy, great to be back on the winning note back again. With the way Abhishek and Rutu batted, it was not easy especially in the powerplay, with the ball moving around but Abhi and Rutu built the innings brilliantly,” Gill said in the post-match presentation.
“Yesterday, it was more about not being able to handle the pressure, it's a young side and many of them are new to international exposure. It was actually good to have pressure in the first game and we knew what to expect coming into this game. We have got three matches to go and we are looking forward to them. It's always good to have more options rather than not having options,” Gill concluded.
Dominant India Level Series After thumping Zimbabwe by 100 Runs
Smarting from their surprise defeat in the first T20I, India roared back in style to thrash Zimbabwe by a massive 100 runs in the second match at Harare on July 7. This emphatic victory, led by captain Shubman Gill's team, marks the heaviest T20I defeat ever for Zimbabwe, surpassing their previous 100-run loss to Australia in 2018. Electing to bat first, India piled up a daunting 235 runs on the board. Zimbabwe's chase faltered from the outset, and their batting line-up crumbled under the pressure of the massive target. They were eventually bundled out for a meager 134 runs in 18.4 overs.
With this dominant win, India has leveled the five-match series 1-1. The teams will lock horns again on July 10th in Harare for the third T20I, with India aiming to take the lead in the series.
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