Zim shock India

19 Jun, 2016 - 00:06 0 Views
Zim shock India CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. . . Zimbabwe seamer Neville Madziva takes off for a celebratory run after sealing Zimbabwe’s two-run win over India at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

The Sunday Mail

Brighton Zhawi
Zimbabwe 170 – 6 (Chigumbura 54*, Waller 30) Bumrah 2-24
India 168- 6 (Pandey 48, Singh 31) Chibhabha 2-13
It was a battle between an accomplished finisher and an emerging bowler and after the dust had settled, novice Neville Madziva won the fight for his team. The result – Zimbabwe sailed to a two-run T20 win over India at Harare Sports Club yesterday to go one-up in the three match series. It came down to four runs needed off the final ball.

With Dhoni on strike, India had every reason to believe while Zimbabwe had hope with Madziva bowling. The Kadoma young man did not disappoint, bowling a full and wide delivery that gave the Indian talisman a single and opened the flood gates of elation on and off the field for the hosts.

India needed eight off the last over but could only manage six, thanks to Madziva’s pinpoint Yorkers. The Zimbabwean bowlers held their nerve and got wickets at crucial moments in the death overs.

Taurai Muzarabani removed danger man Pandey with 27 needed off 17 balls while Madziva got Axar Patel with seven needed off five to cap-off a fantastic bowling effort.

The bowlers were given a good score to defend, thanks to a classical Elton Chigumbura 25-ball 54 runs, which featured seven maximums and a solo boundary. Chigumbura’s late innings blitz was set up by 47-run third wicket stand between Sikandar Raza 20(18) and Malcolm Waller 30 (21) that helped avert a mid-innings wobble.

And Captain Graeme Cremer would not have asked for a better start when Donald Tiripano bowled K Rahul with the first ball of India’s innings. That early strike gave Zimbabwe more energy and they continued getting wickets at crucial moments.

Chibhabha bowled Rayudu 19(16) in the sixth over and had Pradeep Singh, who had been dropped on seven by Taurai Muzarabani, caught in the deep by Tino Mutombodzi two overs later.

A 53-run fifth -wicket stand between Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni threatened to take the game away from Zimbabwe but Muzarabani returned in the 18th over to remove Pandey, setting up a tight-finish which Zimbabwe won.

Neville Madziva said he was calm before the last over despite bowling to Dhoni. “When I was told I was bowling the last over I told myself that whatever they need in the last over I am going to give it my all. “I had a clear plan, I didn’t look at the name, which in this case was Dhoni on strike.

“If I did, I know he would have hit me for six first ball, but I told myself it’s like I am bowling to any other guy here,” he said. Man-of-the-match Elton Chigumbura hailed the team’s collective effort. “Chamu and Hammy set the whole platform.

“The way our bowlers, especially Neville, bowled; well we had confidence and belief. “It showed that if we all contribute as a team we will have more chances of winning games,” said Chigumbura.

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