The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
Zimbabwe 170-6 (Chigumbura 54*, Waller 30, Bumrah 2-24, Patel 1-18)
India-168-6 (Pandey 48, Singh 31, Chibhabha 2-13, Muzarabani 2-35, Madziva 1-34)
Zimbabwe won by two runs
A shift in the format of the game brought a transformation in Zimbabwe’s fortunes when they conquered India by two runs in a closely fought first Twenty20 International at Harare Sports Club, Elton Chigumbura and Neville Madziva the heroes in the victory. Pace bowler Madziva gave away five runs in the last over
in which India needed eight runs for the win, a great job under immense pressure to restrict India to 168 runs for the loss of six wickets in which Manish Pandey was the highest scorer with 48 runs. It was a marvellous piece of bowling by Madziva seeing that India had their star batsman, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the crease. Chigumbura was back to his best with 54 runs from 26 deliveries, an innings made up of seven sixes and one four at a brilliant strike rate of 207 percent while Malcolm Waller struck 30 from 21 balls as Zimbabwe who lost the toss and were put in to bat made a competitive 170 runs at the expense of six wickets.
Yesterday’s win means that Zimbabwe have beaten India in two consecutive T20 matches, following their 10 run victory the last time that the two teams met at the same venue in July last year. The win must have put a smile on the faces of the Zimbabwean fans who had been made to endure pathetic performances in the three match ODI series which concluded last Wednesday.
Hamilton Masakadza was the first Zimbabwean batsman to be dismissed, going to Jaspirt Bumrah trying to scoop the ball over only to be caught behind by Dhoni 25 runs. New batsman in Richmond Mutumbami took one into the ribs from Jaydev Unadkat to retire hurt for zero from four balls with Sikandar Raza coming in to bat. From the Powerplay which is the first six overs of the innings, Zimbabwe made 41 for one at a rate of 6.83 runs per over.
Chamunorwa Chibhabha departed for 20 off 19, his leg stump dislodged by Rishi Dhawan with Zimbabwe 50 for two in 7 overs. Malcolm Waller slammed four fours before he misread a delivery from leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to be bowled.
Raza was run out for 20 from 18, him and his partner Tinotenda Mutombodzi stranded in the middle before Raza tried to return to his end but he fell short. Mutombodzi fell to Axar Patel for three runs, taken at long off by Dhawan.
Bumrah, back into the attack claimed the wicket of Graeme Cremer who chipped the ball to be caught at mid off by Dhawan to send the Zimbabwean captain on his way for four runs.
Chigumbura struck some lusty blows, having hit Chahal for three sixes, he cleared the boundary twice in the 19th over bowled by Unadkat which went for 21 runs to move Zimbabwe to 155 runs.
Bumrah bowled the last over, Chigumbura hammered his second delivery for six, the same treatment given to the penultimate ball for the former Zimbabwean captain to reach his maiden half century in T20s. Bumrah was the most outstanding Indian bowler with two wickets for 24 runs in four overs.
