India are ViKtorious over Zimbabwe

India (Shar)made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Rohit and Ambati Rayudu made way for Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane.

Zimbabwe made four Cha(tara)nges to the (Micha)eleven that last played the Indians – Sikandar Raza, Prosper Utseya, Tendai and Chinouya made way for Timycen Maruma, Tino Mutombodzi, Natsai M’shangwe and Kyle Jarvis.

On winning the toss, Virat Kohli, India’s skipper, inserted the hosts.

The first Powerplay of Zimbabwe’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 24, and lost a couple of wickets.

Vusi Sibanda, whose 14-ball innings included a boundary, scored just five. Four overs into the match, he was caught by Dinesh Karthik. Jaydev Unadkat broke the 13-run stand.

Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s skipper, faced 11 balls, failing to get off the mark. Twenty-nine balls later, he was caught by Suresh Raina. Mohit Sharma broke the 10-run stand.

Maruma, who faced a dozen balls, scored just four. Twenty-one balls later, he was caught by Karthik. Shami broke the 14-run stand.

Fifteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Zimbabwe had scored 45 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Hamilton Masakadza was batting on 32, Sean Williams had scored a run.

Masakadza, whose 46-ball innings included four overs, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Seventeen balls after Maruma’s dismissal, Ravindra Jadeja broke the eight-run stand.

Zimbabwe scored 50 off 16.5 overs (101 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point.

Malcolm Waller, who faced 18 balls, scored eight. Forty-two balls after Masakadza’s dismissal, he was caught by Sharma. Amit Mishra, the player of the match, broke the 27-run stand.

Zimbabwe scored 100 off 28.2 overs (171 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point.

Williams’ half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries – came off 62 balls.

Thirty-three overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. Zimbabwe had scored 122 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets at that point. While Williams was batting on 50, Elton Chigumbura was batting on 17.

The sixth-wicket pair put on 50 off 66 balls. While Williams’ contribution to the partnership was 30, Chigumbura’s contribution to it was 17. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.

Chigumbura, whose 37-ball innings included three boundaries, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Sixty-six balls after Waller’s dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Mishra, who broke the 50-run partnership.

Mutombodzi, who faced five balls, scored four. Five balls later, he was caught by Raina. Mishra broke the four-run stand.

The second Powerplay of Zimbabwe’s innings – which was the batting Powerplay – was between the 36^th and the 40^th over. They scored 30, and lost three wickets.

Williams, whose 65-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, eventually scored 51. Eight balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Needless to say, Mishra was in seventh heaven.

M’shangwe, whose 14-ball innings included a couple of sixes, scored 16. Sixteen balls later, Mishra broke the 22-run stand.

Jarvis, whose run-a-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored a dozen. He was unbeaten.

Brian Vitori, who faced eight balls, scored just four. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Mishra broke the eight-run stand.

India eventually conceded 10 extras. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 163 off 39.5 overs. Raina, who bowled a couple of wicketless overs, conceded nine.

Sharma and Unadkat bowled half-a-dozen overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 25, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded eight. Shami bowled seven overs, including a maiden. He conceded 27, picking up a wicket. Jadeja, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 42. He picked up a wicket.

Mishra, who bowled 8.5 overs, conceded 48. He picked up half-a-dozen scalps.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 54, and lost a wicket.

India’s openers didn’t get off the mark. Cheteshwar Pujara, who faced four balls, didn’t open his account. Four balls into the chase, he was caught by Jarvis.

Half-a-dozen overs into the chase, the lunch break was taken. India had scored 43 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Dhawan was batting on 43, Rahane was in seventh heaven.

India scored 50 off nine overs (54 balls). Zimbabwe had conceded three extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off as many balls. While Dhawan’s contribution to the partnership was 37, Rahane was unbea‘ten’. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.

Dhawan, whose 38-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six, eventually scored 41. Fifty-nine balls later, he was caught by Taylor. Jarvis broke the 55-run partnership.

India scored 100 off 22.1 overs (133 balls). Zimbabwe had conceded 10 extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 72 balls. While Rahane’s contribution to the partnership was 30, Jadeja’s contribution to it was nine. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was 11.

Twenty-five overs into the chase, the drinks break was taken. India had scored 116 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Rahane was batting on 47, Jadeja was batting on 14.

Rahane’s half-century – which included four boundaries and a six – came off 64 balls. He eventually faced 66 balls, failing to add to the aforementioned score. A hundred and one balls after Dhawan’s dismissal, Waller broke the 71-run partnership.

India scored 150 off 31.1 overs (187 balls). Zimbabwe had conceded 17 extras at that point.

Jadeja, whose 77-ball innings included four boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 48. He was unbeaten, as was Dinesh Karthik, who was unbea‘ten’. His 19-ball innings included a boundary.

Zimbabwe eventually conceded 18 extras. India, who scored 167 for the loss of three wickets off 34 overs, won by seven wickets with 16 overs to spare.

Williams bowled a couple of wicketless overs, conceding 18. Chigumbura bowled four wicketless overs, conceding 11. Vitori and Mutombodzi bowled five wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 41, the latter conceded 29. M’shangwe bowled half-a-dozen wicketless overs, conceding 26.

Waller bowled four overs, conceding 18. He picked up a wicket. Jarvis bowled eight overs, including three maidens. He conceded 18, picking up a couple of scalps.

India swept the five-match series 5-0.