T20I World Cup Champions India went down to host Zimbabwe in the first encounter at Harare. After winning the toss, India decided to let Zimbabwe bat first. Ravi Bishnoi’s 4-13 and Washington Sundar’s 2-11 restricted Zimbabwe to a below-par total of 115. However, during the chase, India suffered a dramatic collapse, and none of the batsmen could steer the team home, resulting in a 13-run loss for India. Given the bench strength India has, this was indeed a shocking loss.
In the second T20I, led by a scintillating ton by youngster Abhishek Sharma, India convincingly beat back Zimbabwe and leveled the series. In the post-match press conference, Abhishek Sharma said, “Special thanks to my Dad who always encouraged me to play lofted shots even when I was a kid. Usually, coaches don’t allow you to play lofted shots much. My dad used to tell me ‘if you want to play the lofted shot, it should go out of the ground’. For me, from my childhood, I have realized that if I am confident, I like to express myself.”
The third T20I, to be played on 10th July at the same venue in Harare, sees India confident to go a level up in the series. Skipper Shubman Gill is short of runs and will look to get back to his form. On the other hand, Zimbabwe will be looking forward to improving their batting, as none of their batters looked settled against a quality Indian bowling attack. World Champions Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube return to the squad after a memorable celebration in Mumbai. It will be interesting to see if there are any changes in the playing 11. The pitch will be the same one that was used in the first T20Is, and an early morning start could provide some moisture for the bowlers.
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The match on 10th July will be broadcast by Sports Network at 16:30 pm IST. The series will also be telecast on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD and HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi SD and HD, Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil or Telugu. The live streaming of the T20 series in India will be available on the Sony Liv app and website.
Meanwhile the Indian cricket team was seen enjoying a safari trip in Zimbabwe. The post was shared by the BCCI on social media.
