While seam bowlers Barinder Sran (4-10) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-11) wreaked havoc on the batting line-up of Graeme Cremer’s side, opening batsmen Mandeep Singh (52) and KL Rahul (47) ensured that India achieved the paltry total of 99 runs with 41 balls to spare.
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Meanwhile, Bumrah dismissed top scorer Moor and Elton Chigumbura (eight) to finish with figures of three for 11.
Sran finished with 4 for 10 from his four overs – the second best figures by a bowler on Twenty20 global debut.
“The shot selection is something that myself and Lance Klusener are forever trying to correct”, said Zimbabwe interim coach Makhaya Ntini, who confirmed he was interested in taking the job on a full-time basis.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers appeared at a loss for ideas as the right-handed duo took them to the cleaners. “It is not that you have to commit a mistake to learn”. Chasing 171 was never easy but India looked complacent in reply and the sense of urgency was missing.
There was little trouble for Mandeep and Rahul, with Mandeep slicing a cut shot away over point for four off the last ball to make sure he finished with a half-century, his first in internationals.
Hamilton Masakadza (25, 15 balls), for one, smashed three sixes – one off seamer Dhawan and two off medium fast bowler Unadkat to get the team off the blocks quickly.
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt, wk), KL Rahul, Faiz Fazal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Mandeep Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Axar Patel.
“It is a big victory”.
After Zimbabwe’s shock win over India in the first T20I, hopes of a challenging encounter in the 2nd match were high as Zimbabwe had the chance to seal a historic series win over their more-fancied opponents.
The Indian captain also praised the Indian fielders.
“Bowling was backed by some good fielding, I emphasized that we had to run harder than we did in the last game. In the shorter format, it is very important”.
With 79 required off 42 balls, Pandey chose to take on rival captain Graeme Cremer, hitting him for two consecutive sixes as 16 runs came off the 14th over in company of skipper Dhoni. “We started well but we lost wickets at regular intervals, just couldn’t get going”.
No one expected Zimbabwe to fightback after a disappointing ODI series clean-sweep. The pitch misbehaved a bit but getting bowled out for 99, just not good enough.
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“Everyone contributed today. This one will give us the confidence to do the same thing again, and improve”, he said with a smile dedicating the Man of the Match award to his wife as it was her birthday.
