Team India on Saturday (July 13) thrashed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in the fourth T20I to win the five-match series with one match remaining.
For the fourth consecutive match, Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first. Zimbabwe started cautiously and their openers added 63 runs for the first wicket. The hosts then lost four wickets in no time and found themselves in a situation of 96 for 4.
However, captain Sikandar Raza stood firm at one end and scored 46 runs in 28 balls to help Zimbabwe surpass the 150-run mark. The home side eventually ended their innings at 152 for 7. For India, Khaleel Ahmed took 2 wickets while Tushar Deshpande, Abhishek Sharma, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube took one wicket each.
In reply, India ran out the total in less than 16 overs without losing a wicket. Yashasvi Jaiswal led the charge with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 93 runs in just 53 balls with the help of 13 fours and 2 sixes. On the other hand, Gill played the role of second fiddle to perfection, scoring 58 in 39 balls.
Sikandar Raza reacts after the big defeat:
Following the heavy defeat, Sikandar Raza said the hosts thought the total was good enough on the wet pitch. However, he claimed that even a total of 180-plus would not have been enough with the way Gill and Jaiswal batted. The veteran all-rounder also claimed that the pitch became easier to bat on due to heavy swing during the innings break.
“I think the wicket was a bit wet and we thought 160 was par. But with the way they batted, even 180 wouldn’t have been enough. We keep growing and learning from each game. I think 8-10 more runs in the last 5 overs,” Sikandar Raza said.
“There was a bit of bounce and kick so we had to control ourselves at the start of the innings. The strong roller at the innings break worked for them, it turned into a beautiful wicket and they were able to play up. There is a match tomorrow and even if we lose 3-2, we can hold our heads high,” he added.
With the fate of the series decided in India’s favour, Zimbabwe will look to end the series on a winning note by winning the fifth and final match. The last match of the series is scheduled for Sunday.
