India rode on Shikhar Dhawan (116) and Jayadev Unadkat (4/41) to thump Zimbabwe by 58 runs at Harare on Friday. In related news, the fourth ODI of the series was postponed by a day, on account of elections in Zimbabwe.
Shikhar Dhawan's third ODI ton propelled India to a 58-run win and gave the visitors a 2-0 series lead. The mustachioed one scored a fortune-kissed 116 in 127 balls as India posted an impressive 294 after being asked to bat. The bowlers, spearheaded by left-arm seamer Jayadev Unadkat (10-3-41-4), then confined Zimbabwe to 236/9 in the chase
Opener Vusi Sibanda's blistering 55 gave his team the ideal start in pursuit. Sibanda struck two sixes and seven fours as Zimbabwe reached 109/1 in 20.1 overs. But his tepid dismissal to Jayadev Unadkat triggered the slide.
Hamilton Masakadza (34) was the other principal contributor. But he departed on the sweep to leggie Amit Mishra. Zimbabwe lost five wickets for 24 runs after Sibanda's exit making a hash of what had started out as a promising chase.
With the asking rate mounting, India's spinners denied the batsmen easy runs. Ravindra Jadeja (10-1-30-1) turned in another exceptional display and bowled well in tandem with Mishra (10-1-46-2)
Indian supporters had a lot to cheer as Zimbabwe descended from 109/1 in 20 overs to 133/6 in 30.2 overs. Although Prosper Utseya (52*) and Elton Chigumbura (46) added 88 for the seventh wicket, an Indian win was always imminent and came on the back of two more wickets for Unadkat in the last over of the chase.
Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor earlier made a winning start at the toss and promptly elected to field in view of the possibilities of the first hour. Virat Kohli said he too would have had a bowl had he won the toss.
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