Credit: X
Indian spinner Washington Sundar picked three wickets to guide the side to a 23-run win over Zimbabwe and gain a 2-1 lead over the counterparts. After levelling the series 1-1, on Wednesday, July 10, India clashed against Zimbabwe in the third T20I game of the five-match series at Harare Sports Club in Harare.
The game started with Indian skipper Shubman Gill winning the toss and letting his batters put score on the board first. Powered by skipper Gill’s 66 off 49 and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s nearly missed half-century, the Men in Blue posted a score of 182 runs with the loss of four wickets. Home bowlers who came off lethal in the series failed to continue their momentum as Blessing Muzarabani and captain Sikandar Raza picked two wickets each while others couldn’t do much.
In the second innings, Indian bowlers proved fatal and dismissed openers Wesley Madhevere and Tadiwanashe Marumani on 1 and 13, respectively. Later, Avesh Khan dismissed Brian Bennett on four runs, leading to Zimbabwe's top order’s complete collapse.
Things seemed to go out of hosts’ hands before Dion Myers helped his side with his unbeaten 65 off 49. However, Indian bowlers kept their momentum on and Myers failed to take the side over the line. Washington Sundar emerged as the highest wicket-taker for the visitors and ended the game with the figures of 4-15-3. Indians defeated their counterparts by a margin of 23 runs to register a lead of 2-1 in the series.
After the match, Avesh Khan, who picked two wickets said, “Happy with my performance, I always try to have an impact for the team. I have no preference on where to ball, I am ready to bowl at any phase. Shubman is a bowler’s captain, gives us the freedom to set our fields and backs our plans. He is responsible for probably getting me 1-2 wickets today. (On Bishnoi) He is a good fielder, always takes catches like these, you would have seen it in the IPL as well. He always wants to take such extraordinary catches.”
