14/07Result
5th T20I, India tour of Zimbabwe at Harare, Jul 14 2024
India won by 42 runs
Player of the Match
Shivam Dube
Shivam DubeIndia
14/07Result
5th T20I, India tour of Zimbabwe at Harare, Jul 14 2024
India won by 42 runs
Player of the Match
Shivam Dube
Shivam DubeIndia

4.55pm That's the five-T20I series done.

For India, next up is a white-ball series, three in either format, in Sri Lanka later this month. We don't know yet what the make-up of that touring party will be. But we do know that there won't be any Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli or Ravindra Jadeja. The replacement could well be among the players we have just seen in Zimbabwe.

As for Zimbabwe, they have a Test match in Belfast just around the corner, later this month. Sean Williams and Craig Ervine, among others, will be part of that, but Sikandar Raza will not be. He said he is still available for Test cricket, but hasn't played enough red-ball cricket to expect to "just hog" the Zimbabwe jersey.

That's a wrap from us here. We - Sreshth, Ranjith and I - will catch you another time.

4.40pm Shubman Gill collects the series trophy... and this young India team starts the celebrations.

Shubman Gill: "Excellent series. I think the hunger that we should after losing the first match was fantastic to watch. When we came here not everyone had a lot of hits in the nets. We weren't really used to the conditions. The way we adapted (was great)."

Sikandar Raza: "I thought Blessing bowled well the whole series. Batting-wise we are still below par. The grey area for me will remain our attitude in the field."

The Player of the Series is Washington Sundar.

Washington Sundar: "It was good today. Good to finish with a win. I felt after the first game it [the conditions] was very similar to South Africa, with extra speed and extra bounce. Lots of takeaways, lot of learnings, lot of confidence going into the Sri Lanka series."

The Player of the Match is Shivam Dube.

Shivam Dube: "It's always special to contribute, as an allrounder, to contribute with both bat and ball. If you struggle (in T20s), one shot and you are back in the game. (The conditions) were good. We enjoyed playing here. Big boundaries, the atmosphere, the people here… it's enjoyable."

4.30pm - We'll stand by for the presentation ceremony now. Must be a toss-up between Sanju Samson and Mukesh Kumar for the Player of the Match award. That's just me. Enough readers want it to go to Dube. And that tallies with our MVP table.

Rishabh : "Look at your MVP list. It should be dube as man of the match"
Adarsh: "My POTM choice would be Dube, who played a handy cameo to take the total above-par, took 2 wickets with some tight bowling, and an important direct hit to get Raza out. A complete 3-D performance."

4.25pm Let's hear from Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma.

Riyan Parag: "Feels great. After the first game everyone woke up, and it was a clinical performance. Enjoyed it to the max. We both opened our (India) jerseys together. We played together in the Under-19 World Cup. Very special to do it with him." On Gill the captain: "We have played together from the Under-16s so it doesn't feel like a transition. He has been exceptional." Abhishek Sharma: "The positive thing was that we didn't get time to think much about that match. We were talking about playing together during the IPL too, that it would be a dream come true. We didn't know we would debut together, but it happened." On his bowling: "A special mention to Shubman and the coaches who gave me a chance after I didn't do well. Very grateful. I have been working very hard because I knew if I got my cap I would have to bowl too.

***

That's 4-1 to India then. A lot of useful contributions from the India team in this game, but Samson with the bat and Mukesh with the ball stood out. The performance of the fifth bowler (Abhishek and Dube) was impressive too. And Zimbabwe, well... they remain a work in progress. Disappointing performance from them after they won the first game of the series. They did show bits of promise in patches. But the fielding was a big letdown, and the batting will need a lot of work to be competitive against top sides.

18.3
W
Mukesh Kumar to Ngarava, OUT, Timber! Doesn't try to be cute this time. Around the wicket. At the stumps. Ngarava swings, misses, and Mukesh hits. Mukesh finishes with 4 for 22 - that's his best in T20Is.

R Ngarava b Mukesh Kumar 0 (2m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Riyaz: "One more wicket and I vote Mukesh for POTM" - he's got it, my pick too.

18.3
1w
Mukesh Kumar to Ngarava, 1 wide, Goes around this time, and bowls it wide of the off stump. But it's too high. Beats Ngarava's flashing blade, but Zimbabwe get a run anyway for the wide on height.
18.3
1w
Mukesh Kumar to Ngarava, 1 wide, Over the wicket, but bowls it short and well outside leg stump this time. Ngarava tries to get some bat on it, but it was too far away.

Ngarava is the last man.

guneet: "i am struggling to think which 3 names are sure shot entrants into the senior 15 squad- abhishek, gill, ruturaj and washy? it is going to be….intense!!!"

18.2
W
Mukesh Kumar to Faraz Akram, OUT, What a catch! Mukesh pitches it up but wide outside off. Akram swings, as he has done well, but that only catches the edge, and Samson flies to his left to cling on.

M Faraz Akram c †Samson b Mukesh Kumar 27 (19m 13b 2x4 2x6) SR: 207.69

Over the wicket to the left-hand batter now.

18.1
1
Mukesh Kumar to Muzarabani, 1 run, Excellent delivery. Over the wicket to Muzarabani, attempted yorker. Not quite, but too good for Muzarabani, who can only send it to mid-on.

Free hit coming up That was a front-foot no-ball. Remember he lost a wicket because of it earlier.

18.1
2nb
Mukesh Kumar to Faraz Akram, (no ball) 1 run, Pitched up from around the wicket, might have been a little hint of swing. Akram swings hard, and gets an inside edge down between fine-leg and square leg.

99.83% in India's favour now, and it must be done now, right? Mukesh is back

END OF OVER:
18 | 11 Runs 1 Wkt | ZIM: 120/8 (48 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.66, RRR: 24.00)

  • Blessing Muzarabani0 (1b)
  • Faraz Akram26 (11b)
  • Tushar Deshpande3-0-25-1
  • Shivam Dube4-0-25-2
17.6
0
Deshpande to Muzarabani, no run, Short again, but that's fast. Got to Muzarabani quicker than he might have expected. There was a slog, but rolled harmlessly back to Deshpande.
17.5
W
Deshpande to Mavuta, OUT, Wicket! Dug into the pitch, Mavuta's pull only lobbed back to the bowler. Deshpande almost spilled the simplest of chances, but clung on in the end.

B Mavuta c & b Deshpande 4 (12m 7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 57.14

17.4
0
Deshpande to Mavuta, no run, Short of a length outside off, and Mavuta misses with his cut. That goes to the keeper.
17.3
1
Deshpande to Faraz Akram, 1 run, Short. Followed Akram as he was making room to the leg side. That hit Akram in the body - in the chest and then the bottom of the grille of his helmet - as he attempted a pull. They get a leg-bye.
17.2
4
Deshpande to Faraz Akram, FOUR, Super shot! Didn't move. That ball was fullish and headed towards off stump. Akram moved inside the line and scooped it over short fine leg.
17.1
6
Deshpande to Faraz Akram, SIX, That's a special shot. Backed away and made room. Deshpande, quicker than Dube, followed him, but there was still enough room for Akram to get nicely behind the ball and send it soaring over long-on.

Will Abhishek finish his spell too? No, it's Deshpande.

END OF OVER:
17 | 10 Runs | ZIM: 109/7 (59 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.41, RRR: 19.66)

  • Faraz Akram15 (8b)
  • Brandon Mavuta4 (5b)
  • Shivam Dube4-0-25-2
  • Abhishek Sharma3-0-20-1
16.6
1
Dube to Faraz Akram, 1 run, Short, properly short, just outside the off stump. Akram, who has been very enterprising since he has walked out, pulls it away to deep midwicket.
16.5
6
Dube to Faraz Akram, SIX, WHAT A SHOT! Dube goes around the wicket, bowls it a bit fuller on off stump to the left-hand batter, and that's whacked over deep square leg.
16.4
1
Dube to Mavuta, 1 run, Short again. Into the body again. A somewhat grubby pull/slog to midwicket again.
16.3
1
Dube to Faraz Akram, 1 run, Around the wicket, into the left-hander. Short, into the body. Slog-pulled for a single to midwicket.
16.2
1
Dube to Mavuta, 1 run, That's short, slower at 117, and was on off stump, but Mavuta backs away and pulls to deep midwicket.

Zimbabwe 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st1W MadhevereT Marumani
2nd14T MarumaniBJ Bennett
3rd44T MarumaniD Myers
4th26Sikandar RazaD Myers
5th2Sikandar RazaJ Campbell
6th3C MadandeJ Campbell
7th4C MadandeM Faraz Akram
8th26B MavutaM Faraz Akram
9th3B MuzarabaniM Faraz Akram
10th2R NgaravaB Muzarabani