Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza has praised his teammates after the victory over Team India in the five-match T20I series being played on home soil. Sikander Raza asserted that the job is not over and they need to maintain their winning momentum in the upcoming matches of the series against the world champions.
Zimbabwe registered a 13-run victory over the Shubman Gill-led Indian team at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Saturday, July 6. India rested most of the senior players from their World Cup-winning squad. Zimbabwe successfully defended a total of 115 runs to start the ongoing series on a winning note.
You have to play one game at a time – Sikandar Raza
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Sikandar Raza expressed his satisfaction over Zimbabwe’s good performance against the T20 World Cup champions. However, Raza asserted that they need to be ready for the next match and stressed that they must prepare well to win the series.
“I’m very happy with the win. We have to take it one game at a time. The job is not over, the series is not over. World champions play like world champions, so we have to be ready for the next game. This is not a wicket where you get bowled out for 115. You have to give credit to the bowlers of both teams. It’s a clear indication that we have to improve our skills.” said race.
Zimbabwe managed to score 115/9 in their 20 overs after being asked to bat first. The home team’s bowlers Tendai Chatara (3/16) and Sikandar Raza (3/25) played a crucial role in restricting Team India to 102 in 19.5 overs. Raza was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his impressive all-round performance.
I don’t care about the results – Sikandar Raza
The 38-year-old said they must stick to their plans regardless of the result. Raza stressed that both catching and fielding on the pitch can be improved. He acknowledged that fan support is a major motivator and credited them for contributing to Zimbabwe’s success.
“I said I don’t care about the result as long as we’re loyal to the fans and the locker room. We had our plans, we stuck to them and we supported our guys. Our receiving and running defense were incredible, but we made some mistakes, which shows there’s room for improvement. We knew the fans would cheer us on and give us energy. Give them credit for that. They helped us.” Race added.
Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel made their T20I debuts for India in the first T20I match. Shubman Gill scored 31 runs to secure the chase but was dismissed by Raza in the 11th over. India collapsed to 47/6 but Washington Sundar, who scored 27 runs off 34 balls, battled back with the lower-order batsmen.
The second T20I of the five-match series between the two teams will be held on Sunday, July 7 at the same venue. After losing the opening match, the Indians will be keen to grab the opportunity to bounce back strongly in the next game.
Also Read: I enjoyed working with Rohit Sharma – Rahul Dravid praises India captain and says this about Virat Kohli
