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Raza stars as Zimbabwe make India sweat for victory
23 Aug 2022 at 06:26hrs | Views
India 289 for 8 (Gill 130, Kishan 50, Evans 5-54) beat Zimbabwe 276 (Raza 115, Williams 45, Avesh 3-66) by 13 runs
A CLASSY maiden ODI century and a stunning catch in the penultimate over of a tense chase from Shubman Gill gave India a thrilling 13-run win over Zimbabwe yesterday to complete a 3-0 whitewash after Sikandar Raza's fighting hundred had brought the hosts back from the dead.
From 169 for 7 in a chase of 290, Raza's knock brought Zimbabwe to a point where they needed 15 to win from nine balls. But Raza, having already struck three sixes in reaching 115 off 94 balls, swung a slower ball from Shardul Thakur down the ground and was caught by Gill diving forward from long-on.
It came down to 15 needed off the last over with just one wicket left, and Avesh Khan bowled Victor Nyauchi with a searing yorker that put the seal on India's 3-0 score-line.
Chasing 290, Raza led Zimbabwe's charge almost single-handedly from the 18th over on, scoring his third century in six innings and his sixth overall in ODIs even as wickets fell around him. Zimbabwe needed 95 from the last 10 with only three wickets left and Raza and the steadfast Brad Evans brought it down to 52 off 30.
Raza then hit a six over the covers to begin a 12-run 46th over, and brought up his century in the next over as Zimbabwe inched closer. Thakur conceded just seven off the 47th over with his slower ones to make it 33 off 18.
When Raza got on strike in the next over, he scooped Avesh wide of short fine leg for four, and then clobbered him over the covers for another six next ball. An inside edge off Evans' bat then ran away for four to lift Zimbabwe's hopes further, bringing the equation down to 17 off 13.
Avesh trapped Evans lbw next ball to leave Zimbabwe's hopes resting entirely on Raza, but his wicket in the next over all but sealed the game for India.
Zimbabwe's top-order show improved only slightly after the first two ODIs, with Sean Williams promoted to No. 3 after Deepak Chahar trapped Innocent Kaia with an in-swinging yorker that followed a series of outswingers. Their problems were compounded when Takudzwanashe Kaitano walked off with what appeared to be a cramp in the sixth over and Tony Munyonga struggled to get going.
Williams, however, struck three fours in his first nine balls, the best of them a decisive pull off Chahar. Singles and twos came more easily once the field spread, before Williams and Munyonga fell in successive overs. Axar Patel first trapped Williams plumb with a dart for 45, before Munyonga mistimed a lofted drive to wide mid-off off Avesh to leave Zimbabwe 84 for 3.
Raza and Regis Chakabva moved them past 100 before Axar struck again, just past the halfway mark of the chase, taking a sharp return catch to his left to send Chakabva packing. The returning Kaitano was then stumped off Kuldeep Yadav seven balls later to leave the chase on Raza's shoulders with the asking rate having crept past 7.5. Raza decided to see off the two spinners and went after the quicks as conditions remained batting-friendly.
Raza began Chahar's second spell with a mighty six over midwicket and got a thick edge for four three balls later. After he crossed his half-century, he went after Thakur and Avesh. When Zimbabwe needed 115 from 12 overs, he hit three successive fours off Thakur in a 20-run over, before he and Evans collected a four each in the 41st, bowled by Avesh, to bring the equation down to 79 off 54. Raza and Evans put on 104 off 77, with Evans contributing just 28, but once India broke the partnership, there was not much batting to come.
A CLASSY maiden ODI century and a stunning catch in the penultimate over of a tense chase from Shubman Gill gave India a thrilling 13-run win over Zimbabwe yesterday to complete a 3-0 whitewash after Sikandar Raza's fighting hundred had brought the hosts back from the dead.
From 169 for 7 in a chase of 290, Raza's knock brought Zimbabwe to a point where they needed 15 to win from nine balls. But Raza, having already struck three sixes in reaching 115 off 94 balls, swung a slower ball from Shardul Thakur down the ground and was caught by Gill diving forward from long-on.
It came down to 15 needed off the last over with just one wicket left, and Avesh Khan bowled Victor Nyauchi with a searing yorker that put the seal on India's 3-0 score-line.
Chasing 290, Raza led Zimbabwe's charge almost single-handedly from the 18th over on, scoring his third century in six innings and his sixth overall in ODIs even as wickets fell around him. Zimbabwe needed 95 from the last 10 with only three wickets left and Raza and the steadfast Brad Evans brought it down to 52 off 30.
Raza then hit a six over the covers to begin a 12-run 46th over, and brought up his century in the next over as Zimbabwe inched closer. Thakur conceded just seven off the 47th over with his slower ones to make it 33 off 18.
Avesh trapped Evans lbw next ball to leave Zimbabwe's hopes resting entirely on Raza, but his wicket in the next over all but sealed the game for India.
Zimbabwe's top-order show improved only slightly after the first two ODIs, with Sean Williams promoted to No. 3 after Deepak Chahar trapped Innocent Kaia with an in-swinging yorker that followed a series of outswingers. Their problems were compounded when Takudzwanashe Kaitano walked off with what appeared to be a cramp in the sixth over and Tony Munyonga struggled to get going.
Williams, however, struck three fours in his first nine balls, the best of them a decisive pull off Chahar. Singles and twos came more easily once the field spread, before Williams and Munyonga fell in successive overs. Axar Patel first trapped Williams plumb with a dart for 45, before Munyonga mistimed a lofted drive to wide mid-off off Avesh to leave Zimbabwe 84 for 3.
Raza and Regis Chakabva moved them past 100 before Axar struck again, just past the halfway mark of the chase, taking a sharp return catch to his left to send Chakabva packing. The returning Kaitano was then stumped off Kuldeep Yadav seven balls later to leave the chase on Raza's shoulders with the asking rate having crept past 7.5. Raza decided to see off the two spinners and went after the quicks as conditions remained batting-friendly.
Raza began Chahar's second spell with a mighty six over midwicket and got a thick edge for four three balls later. After he crossed his half-century, he went after Thakur and Avesh. When Zimbabwe needed 115 from 12 overs, he hit three successive fours off Thakur in a 20-run over, before he and Evans collected a four each in the 41st, bowled by Avesh, to bring the equation down to 79 off 54. Raza and Evans put on 104 off 77, with Evans contributing just 28, but once India broke the partnership, there was not much batting to come.
Source - ESPN Cricinfo
