Agency, Harare :
India pulled off another spectacular show as they cruised to a eight-wicket win over minnows Zimbabwe to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
India bagged the three-match series in style riding on a dominant performance by bowlers in the second ODI. The visitors skittle out the hosts for a lowly 126 in 34.3 overs. and then the Indian batsmen hardly broke a sweat to chase down the target in only 26.5 overs.
India have a chance of whitewashing Zimbabwe by winning the third and the final ODI on Wednesday. The series win is also a hat-trick for the “Men in Blue”.
The Indian team have maintained a clean slate in the African nation after their victories in 2013 and 2015, and will eye to add the third silverware in a row in their cabinet.
It was Ambati Rayudu who starred in India’s run chase with a match-winning 41 off 44 balls after young leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (3 for 25) broke the backbone of the Zimbabwe middle-order. His innings included a flurry of boundaries — seven in all.
KL Rahul, who scored a magnificent century in the first ODI and became the first ever Indian batsmen to score a century on debut scored 33 runs on Monday. He starred in a 58-run partnership with Karun Nair (39 off 68 balls) for the opening stand while the Rayudu-Nair pair added 67 runs for the second wicket.
When Nair finally got out trying to sweep a straight delivery from Graeme Cremer, India needed only two runs. Manish Pandey (4 not out) completed the formalities with a boundary.
With the ball darting around a bit, the Indian openers were cautious and Nair got a lucky reprieve when he edged Tendai Chatara only to find that the bowler had overstepped.
He celebrated his charmed life with a down the ground four off the very next ball.
Nair also drove and pulled Chatara for a couple of boundaries to settle down into a good rhythm.
Chatara was also handed some rough treatment from Rahul who hit a couple of boundaries with a cover drive and a cut shot. Off seamer Taurai Muzarabani too was at the receiving end of his bat.
Rahul looked solid for at least another half-century but he dragged one from Chamu Chibhabha onto his stumps.
In the end, it was another lopsided contest that went India’s way with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoying the batting performance from the pavilion for the second time in a row.
India pulled off another spectacular show as they cruised to a eight-wicket win over minnows Zimbabwe to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
India bagged the three-match series in style riding on a dominant performance by bowlers in the second ODI. The visitors skittle out the hosts for a lowly 126 in 34.3 overs. and then the Indian batsmen hardly broke a sweat to chase down the target in only 26.5 overs.
India have a chance of whitewashing Zimbabwe by winning the third and the final ODI on Wednesday. The series win is also a hat-trick for the “Men in Blue”.
The Indian team have maintained a clean slate in the African nation after their victories in 2013 and 2015, and will eye to add the third silverware in a row in their cabinet.
It was Ambati Rayudu who starred in India’s run chase with a match-winning 41 off 44 balls after young leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (3 for 25) broke the backbone of the Zimbabwe middle-order. His innings included a flurry of boundaries — seven in all.
KL Rahul, who scored a magnificent century in the first ODI and became the first ever Indian batsmen to score a century on debut scored 33 runs on Monday. He starred in a 58-run partnership with Karun Nair (39 off 68 balls) for the opening stand while the Rayudu-Nair pair added 67 runs for the second wicket.
When Nair finally got out trying to sweep a straight delivery from Graeme Cremer, India needed only two runs. Manish Pandey (4 not out) completed the formalities with a boundary.
With the ball darting around a bit, the Indian openers were cautious and Nair got a lucky reprieve when he edged Tendai Chatara only to find that the bowler had overstepped.
He celebrated his charmed life with a down the ground four off the very next ball.
Nair also drove and pulled Chatara for a couple of boundaries to settle down into a good rhythm.
Chatara was also handed some rough treatment from Rahul who hit a couple of boundaries with a cover drive and a cut shot. Off seamer Taurai Muzarabani too was at the receiving end of his bat.
Rahul looked solid for at least another half-century but he dragged one from Chamu Chibhabha onto his stumps.
In the end, it was another lopsided contest that went India’s way with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni enjoying the batting performance from the pavilion for the second time in a row.
