Harare (Zimbabwe): A blistering hundred by Abhishek Sharma and the bowlers' fine effort led India to a fluent 100-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second T20I here on Sunday.
Abhishek's 100 off 47 balls, laced with seven boundaries and as many as eight sixes and one-down Ruturaj Gaikwad's unbeaten 77 off 47 balls, in which he hammered 11 fours and a maximum carried India to an imposing 234 for two. Zimbabwe ended up at 134 all out without much fight. The five-match series is now poised at 1-1. For India, pacers Mukesh Kumar (3/37), Avesh Khan (3/15) and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/11) led the bowling.
Despite Zimbabwe's improved batting effort, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were never in the chase. Wessly Madhevere top-scored with a 39-ball 43, wherein he struck three boundaries and a six. But barring him and Luke Jongwe (33 off 26 balls), no other batter stayed at the crease for a considerable amount of time and failed to build a partnership.
Earlier, Abhishek blended power with grace for a scintillating 46-ball 100 that propelled India to a massive 234 for two against hosts Zimbabwe in a much-improved batting performance in the second T20 International here Sunday.
The total was India's highest against Zimbabwe in T20 Internationals, surpassing the previous best of 186, a fitting comeback after an inexplicable batting collapse in the opening game.
Having endured the disappointment of a four-ball duck on debut, Abhishek, IPL's most prolific six-hitting Indian batter, displayed his talent by clobbering eight sixes and seven fours in his knock. He added 137 runs for the second wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad (77 not out off 47 balls), who was completely overshadowed by the Punjab southpaw.
Abhishek got a reprieve on 27 when Wellington Masakadza dropped a regulation skier off Luke Jongwe. He never looked back after that. Abhishek started his international run account with a pulled six off-spinner Brian Bennett, who had got the better of him on Saturday.
His fifty came off another pulled six behind square off medium pacer Dion Myers, whose 28-run over actually opened the floodgates during the back-10 for the visitors. The shot that was most pleasing to the eye was his inside-out six off rival skipper Sikandar Raza, lofting his off-break with the turn over extra cover boundary.
If that was elegance personified, the manner in which he muscled left-arm spinner Masakadza into the orbit with back-to-back sixes was a testimony to his brute power. He raised his milestone hundred when he guided a wayward full-toss on leg-stump behind the square for a maximum before being dismissed off the very next delivery.
On return to the dug-out, he was congratulated by his skipper and best friend Shubman Gill, who once again had an indifferent outing. The best part about his innings was how he switched gears as India were 74 for 1 after first 10 overs. In the next five, they smashed 78, courtesy Yuvraj Singh's student, who threw the kitchen sink at the Zimbabwean bowlers.
The poor fielding effort also hurt Zimbabwe as they also dropped Gaikwad's catch, who took off from where Abhishek had left, creaming off 87 runs off 36 balls for the third wicket with Rinku Singh (48 not out off 22 balls), who also made merry with five huge sixes.
This was Zimbabwe's second-highest defeat in terms of runs in T20 internationals. They had lost to Australia by 100 runs at Harare in 2018.
Abhishek, who was adjudged as the Player of the Match, said, "I think it was pretty much good performance by me. I felt today was my day and I made it count. I feel T20 is about momentum and I took it to the end."
The next match will be played at the Harare Sports Club on July 10.
Brief Scores: India: 234 for 2 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 100, Ruturaj Gaikwad 77 not out, Rinku Singh 48 not out) beat Zimbabwe: 134 all out in 18.4 overs (Wessly Madhevere 43, Brian Bennett 26, Luke Jongwe 33; Mukesh Kumar 3/37, Avesh Khan 3/15, Ravi Bishnoi 2/11 ) by 100 runs
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