Dhoni-led India rout Zimbabwe again

India made no changes to their playing eleven.

Zimbabwe made just one change to the eleven that last played the Indians – Craig Ervine made way for Sean Williams (who was absent hurt).

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, inserted the hosts.

Before the start of play, the ground was wet.

The first Powerplay of Zimbabwe’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 39, and lost three wickets.

Hamilton Masakadza, whose 17-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. Twenty-seven balls later, he was caught by Jasprit Bumrah. Barinder Sran broke the 19-run stand.

Peter Moor, who faced nine balls, scored just a run. Eleven balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Sran, who broke the two-run stand.

Chamu Chibhabha, whose 26-ball innings included a boundary, scored 21. Twenty-two balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Dhawal Kulkarni, who broke the 18-run stand.

The second Powerplay of Zimbabwe’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the 11^th and the 40^th over. They scored 87, and lost half-a-dozen wickets.

Zimbabwe scored 50 off 13.4 overs (82 balls). India had conceded five extras at that point.

Sixteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Zimbabwe had scored 64 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Vusi Sibanda was batting on 23, Sikandar Raza was batting on four.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 65 balls. While Sibanda’s contribution to the partnership was 32, Raza’s contribution to it was 15. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.

Zimbabwe scored 100 off 23.2 overs (141 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave India no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Sibanda’s half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six – came off 58 balls.

Raza, whose 41-ball innings included a boundary, eventually scored 16. Ninety-two balls after Chibhabha’s dismissal, he was caught by Kedar Jadhav. Yuzvendra Chahal, the player of the match, broke the 67-run partnership.

The fifth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Elton Chigumbura, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, he was trapped leg before wicket by Chahal.

Sibanda, whose 69-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and the only six off the innings, eventually scored 53. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Jadhav. Chahal broke the one-run stand.

Richmond Mutumbami, who faced 14 balls, scored just a couple. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Bumrah broke the five-run stand.

Although he was unbeaten, Graeme Cremer, Zimbabwe’s skipper, who faced 15 balls, had no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Tendai Chatara, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored just a couple. Eight balls later, Kulkarni broke the three-run stand.

Taurai Muzarabani, whose 10-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Seventeen balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Axar, who broke the (Pat)eleven-run stand.

India eventually scored 10 extras. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 126 off 34.3 overs.

Bumrah bowled half-a-dozen overs, conceding 27. He picked up a wicket, as did Patel, who bowled 7.3 overs, conceding 22.

Sran and Kulkarni, whose spells included a maiden each, picking up two scalps apiece. While the former, who bowled half-a-dozen overs, conceded 17, the latter, who bowled nine overs, conceded 31.

The leggie bowled (Cha)half-a-dozen overs, including two maidens. He conceded 25, picking up three scalps.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 42, without the loss of a wicket.

The second Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the 11^th and the 40^th over. They scored 87, and lost a couple of wickets.

Thirteen overs into the match, the lunch break was taken. India had scored 48 without the loss of a wicket at that point. While Lokesh Rahul was batting on 25, Karun Nair was batting on 21.

India’s openers scored 50 off 13.4 overs (83 balls). Zimbabwe had conceded three extras at that point. While Rahul’s contribution to the partnership was 27, Nair’s contribution to it was 21.

Rahul, whose 50-ball innings included four boundaries, eventually scored 33. Eighty-nine balls into the Ch(ibhabh)ase, the 58-run partnership was broken.

India scored 100 off 21.5 overs (133 balls). Zimbabwe had conceded a dozen extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 51 balls. While the contributions of Nair and extras to the partnership were nine apiece, Rayudu’s contribution to it was 32.

Nair, whose 68-ball innings included five boundaries, eventually scored 39. Seventy-two balls after Rahul’s dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Raza, who broke the 67-run partnership.

Ambati Rayudu, whose 44-ball innings included seven boundaries, eventually scored 41. He was unbeaten, as was Manish Pandey, who faced a ball, scoring four.

India, who scored 129 for the loss of a couple of wickets off 26.5 overs, won by eight wickets with 139 balls to spare.

Chigumbura, who bowled two wicketless overs, conceded 20.

Cremer and Muzarabani bowled three wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 17, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 13.

Chatara bowled eight wicketless overs, including a maiden. He conceded 40.

Although he picked up a wicket, Raza, who bowled 11 balls, had no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Chibhabha bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 31, picking up a wicket.

India led the three-match series 2-0. In fact, they won the series with a match to spare.