The Sunday Mail
DAVE HOUGHTON is yet to stamp his authority on the Zimbabwe Chevrons’ side and has given the squad little under six months to play and express themselves freely.
“I think I still have a long way to go,” he said in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo prior to India’s visit.
“Let’s see how we go in six months’ time, when we have gone through Bangladesh, India and Australia, which are some tough, tough teams, and then the World Cup.
“Then we will see if changes are made and progress has been made.”
It is against this background that one is tempted not to read too much into the Chevrons’ disappointing performance during India’s visit so far.
The Asians sealed a series win courtesy of a five-wicket victory at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Zimbabwe’s batting frailties, particularly at the top of the order, were once again on full display as India cruised to victory and hardly broke a sweat for the second time during the ongoing three-match One-Day International Super League series.
A complete bowling performance led by Shardul Thakur’s three-for followed by a 56-run partnership between Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson helped India inflict a 14th straight ODI win over Zimbabwe to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Thakur got the most wickets for India, but it was a collective effort, with Mohammed Siraj’s eight overs going for just 16 runs, and all the bowlers on show getting among the wickets to bowl Zimbabwe out for 161.
In reply, the tourists cruised home with five wickets and more than 24 overs to spare.
After being asked to bat, Zimbabwe openers Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Innocent Kaia began cautiously.
Having lost four wickets in just over ten overs in the first ODI, the instruction, clearly, was to conserve wickets upfront.
They crawled to 12 for none in seven overs when Kaia decided to attack Thakur.
He used the cross-batted shot to pull one past mid-on’s right before flicking one well over midwicket in Thakur’s next.
But, from the other end, Siraj struck when he had Kaitano (seven) edge one to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who dived to his right to cling on after having been wrong-footed.
Thakur then bookended his third over with the wickets of Kaia (16) and the captain Regis Chakabva (two), before Prasidh Krishna’s peach had Wessly Madhevere (two) walking back.
It was familiar territory for Zimbabwe despite the watchfulness at the start, with the scoreboard reading 31 for 4 after 12.4 overs.
It had been 31 for 4 in 10.1 the last time.
Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams, moved down to number six, then held fort for a while, the two sharing
41-run fifth-wicket stand that came off 50 balls.
It was one of three partnerships by the middle-order that showed some fight during Zimbabwe’s innings, with Williams sharing a sixth-wicket stand with Ryan Burl that went for 33 runs off 42 balls.
Burl would also make another quick-fire 24 off 27 balls seventh-wicket stand with Luke Jongwe.
However, with the top order failing to making meaningful contributions, the middle- and lower-order batters crumbled as Zimbabwe could only muster 161 before they were bowled out.
With only 162 runs needed for victory, Shikhar Dhawan got off to a rollicking start, even as captain KL Rahul, who promoted himself to open, fell lbw cheaply.
India had raced to 41 for one inside six overs before Tanaka Chivanga got the danger man out
After being driven crisply through covers, Chivanga angled a bouncer into Dhawan, who was taken aback and skied the pull towards midwicket.
Gill, who finished 82 not out in his previous outing, got going with a pull through midwicket before hitting a couple of drives through covers off Victor Nyauchi.
However, Jongwe managed to strike twice in two overs to peg India back.
He first had Ishan Kishan playing away from his body and inside-edging onto his stumps, and then had Shubman Gill hop and cut one straight down deep third’s throat.
But Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson ensured the chase didn’t stutter, while unveiling some of their classy shots.
Batting at number six, Samson finished unbeaten with 43 runs off just 39 balls to exhibit his finishing prowess and perhaps provide another reminder of his abilities in white-ball cricket.
Jongwe finished the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers, claiming two for 33 runs, while Nyauchi, Chavanga and Raza each took a wicket apiece. — Cricinfo-Sports Reporter.
