Harare: A clinical bowling helped India clinch three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe after they defeated the hosts by five wickets in the second match here on Saturday.
Shardul Thakur led the Indian bowling by bagging 3 wickets, helping the visitors bowl out Zimbabwe for 161 runs.
India achieved the target in just 25.4 overs, despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Early in the innings, the visitors lost Captain KL Rahul for 5 after he was adjudged plumb in front off Victor Nyauchi in the second over of India's innings.
After Rahul's departure, Shikhar Dhawan and Shubnam Gill carried forward the run chase. Adopting an aggressive approach, Shikhar smacked four boundaries in his 21-ball 33 runs before he succumbed to Tanaka Chivanga's short ball.
Gill then took charge and sutured 36 runs partnership with Ishant Kishan, who failed to exhibit his profligacy and managed only 6 before he fell to Luke Jongwe, dragging the ball on to the stumps.
Jongwe then marked off Gill also, having him caught at third man off an attempted cut.
Reduced to 97/4, Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson brought India near to victory mark with a brisk 56-run stand, before the former was yorked by Sikandar Raza. Samson, however, nailed the victory in a jiffy by smacking his fourth six in his unconquered 43 runs knock.
The chase was crowned by Indian bowlers earlier when Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna hardly gave any runs to Zimbabwe openers who could only manage 20 runs in first eight overs of their innings.
Siraj set the tone for India when he forced Takudzwanashe Kaitando to edge one to Samson behind the stumps.
Shardul, who replaced Deepak Chahar, struck twice in the 12th over, fully utilising the snail-paced batting of Zimbabwe. Innocent Kaia who managed only 16 off 27 balls gloved a short ball to Samson down the leg side and then Captain Regis Chakabava edged one to second slip in the same over.
Zimbabwe were soon reduced to 31/4 when Prasidh had Wesley Madhevere caught with the help of some extra bounce in the next over.
Sean Williams and Raza seized the slump by sewing up a 41-run stand before Kuldeep Yadav picked the latter up. Williams chanced his arm in a run-a-ball 42 before he swept Deepak Hooda down to deep square leg.
Ryan Burl's 39 helped Zimbabwe to overtake 150 runs mark as wickets plunged at the other end. He remained unvanquished as the hosts lost their last three wickets in the space of 13 balls to fold for a meagre 161.
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 161 all out (Sean Williams 42, Ryan Burl 39; Shardul Thakur 3-38) lost to India 167/5 in 25.4 ov (Sanju Samson 43*; Luke Jongwe 2-33) by five wickets. (UNI)
(Photo Credit: Twitter/BCCI)
