Match Blog: Kulkarni and Company Take India to a Three-Run Victory
Match Blog: Click here for all the latest updates, pictures and reactions from the third India-Zim T20 in Harare.
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- India beat Zimbabwe by three runs in the third T20 in Harare on Wednesday.
- India cliched the three-match T20I series 2-1.
- Kedar Jadhav scored his maiden T20I fifty during the match.
- Dhawal Kulkarni was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 2/23.
India Win by Three Runs
T Maruma and E Chigumbura took Zimbabwe close to victory but India held their nerve and clinched a three-run victory in the third T20 in Harare and sealed the series 2-1.
When Zimbabwe needed 21 runs from the last over, Maruma made things interesting after striking a six and a four off the first two balls and Sran also gifted Zimbabwe with a wide and a no ball.
Then Sran got his wide yorkers right and kept the Zimbabwean batsmen under pressure. Chigumbura managed to edge the fifth ball for a boundary which made the equation four runs to win from one ball.
Sran bowled a low full toss and Chigumbura couldn’t get a hold of it and gave a catch to Chahal and got out for 16.
Bumrah’s Fabulous Catch
Jasprit Bumrah takes a brilliant catch to dismiss Malcolm Waller for ten runs. The Zimbabwean tried to hit the delivery from Kulkarni over short third man but Bumrah jumped and clinged onto the catch.
Zimbabwe: 104/5 after 17.1 overs. They need 35 runs from 17 balls to win the match.
Chahal Strikes
Peter Moor falls to Chahal for 26. The wicket is a huge sigh of relief for India as Moore was striking the ball brilliantly. After hitting three sixes in his innings he presented a catch to Mandeep Singh.
Zimbabwe: 88/4 after 14 overs. They need 51 more runs from 36 balls to win the match.
Sibanda Falls to Kulkarni
Sibanda looked like the batsman, who was going to take Zimbabwe home, but due to one silly error, he is making his way back to the pavilion. D Kulkarni traps him LBW after the Zimbabwean missed a flick shot. He goes for 28.
Sibanda thrashed five boundaries in 23-ball innings before perishing to Kulkarni.
Zimbabwe: 62/3 after 11 overs.
Patel Traps Masakadza LBW
Finally India gets a wicket! Masakadza completely misses the ball while trying to play a sweep shot, Axar Patel’s delivery hits his pads in front of the stumps. The Zimbabwean goes for 15.
Zimbabwe: 58/2 after nine overs.
Sran Gets the First Breakthrough
Yuzvendra Chahal takes a brilliant catch to dismiss CJ Chibhabha for just five runs. The Zimbabwean batsman mistimed his pull shot off Barinder Sran’s bowling and Chahal completed a good overhead catch.
Zimbabwe: 19/1 after three overs.
India Score 138/6 in 20 Overs
Kedar Jadhav’s 58 propelled India to a defendable score of 138/6 in the third T20 against Zimbabwe in Harare.
The Indian batsmen kept getting out at regular intervals which always kept Zimbabwe in the game. But Kedar Jadhav held his ground and kept ticking the scoreboard at a quick pace. Jadhav struck seven fours and a six in his 42-ball innings.
Tiripano was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe with figures of 3/20.
Tiripano Strikes Thrice
Finally, the Zimbabweans have got the wicket they needed. Jadhav misjudged the pace of the delivery bowled by Tiripano and mistimed his shot, which resulted in Jadhav giving a catch to Chigumbura. He goes for 58.
India: 122/6 after 19 overs.
Jadhav’s Maiden T20I Fifty
Kedar Jadhav brings up his maiden T20I fifty with a boundary down the leg side. The Pune lad, who walked into bat when India were under the pump at 27/3, has batted very positively from the start of his innings.
He respected the good balls and ensured that the loose deliveries reach the boundary. He has smashed six fours and a six in his 38-ball 51 runs innings.
India: 111/5 after 18 overs.
Tiripano Sends Dhoni Back to the Pavilion
MS Dhoni inside-edges a delivery on to the stumps and gets out for just nine runs. The Indian wickets continue to fall like a pack of cards.
Dhoni cleared his front foot to hit the ball from Tiripano on the on side but unfortunately mistimed his shot.
The Indian captain seemed to have hurt his eye when one of the bails after being dislodged, went through his helmet.
India: 95/5 after 17 overs.
Cremer Dismisses Rayudu
Ambati Rayudu was playing a sensible innings until he gave a simple catch to E Chigumbura while trying to send Cremer to the boundary. He goes for 20.
MS Dhoni walks in.
India: 78/4 after 13 overs.
Rayudu and Jadhav Take India Past Fifty
Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav have consolidated the Indian innings after Rahul, Pandey and Mandeep were dismissed in the first five overs.
Rayudu and Jadhav are not taking any risks and are playing every delivery on its merit.
India: 53/3 after 10 overs.
Pandey Falls Short of His Crease
Manish Pandey gets run out first ball! India are in huge trouble now. Pandey knocked the ball to mid on and took off for a single, but the fielder picked up the ball quickly and hit the stumps at the bowler’s end with Pandey short of the crease.
India: 27/3 after 4.4 overs.
KL Rahul Bowled!
Another wicket! The Zimbabwean bowlers are on a roll. KL Rahul, who was batting very confidently inside-edges a delivery off N Madziva’s bowling onto his stumps and gets out for 22.
The Karnataka batsman looked like he was going to get another big score. He smashed three fours and a six before he was out played-on.
India: 27/2 after 4.3 overs.
Tiripano Gets Mandeep
Timycen Maruma takes a fantastic catch to dismiss Mandeep Singh for just four runs. The Indian batsman mistimed his shot and Maruma ran backwards and held onto the catch off D Tiripano’s bowling.
India: 20/1 after 3.1 overs.
Squads
India Squad: KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, AT Rayudu, MK Pandey, KM Jadhav, MS Dhoni*, AR Patel, DS Kulkarni, JJ Bumrah, BB Sran, YS Chahal.
Zimbabwe Squad: CJ Chibhabha, H Masakadza, PJ Moor, V Sibanda, T Maruma, MN Waller, E Chigumbura, AG Cremer*, N Madziva, DT Tiripano, TL Chatara.
Good evening!
Welcome to the coverage of the third T20 between India and Zimbabwe from the Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe have won the toss and elected to bowl first. Both the teams have all to play for, with the series tied at 1-1.
India bounced back in the second T20 with a ten-wicket victory after losing the first T20 by two runs. Barinder Sran and Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball before Mandeep Singh and KL Rahul held their own during India’s chase.
India will have to score over 150 at least to feel safe while defending their total. India are playing an unchanged eleven.