Harare, Indian bowlers led by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi produced a dominant effort to restrict an inexperienced Zimbabwe to 115 for nine in the first T20I of the five-match series here on Saturday.
Bishnoi received adequate support from off-spinner Washington Sundar as Zimbabwe struggled to stitch any meaningful partnership after they were invited to bat on a pitch that offered a good amount of bounce and carry.
However, Zimbabwe made a rather brisk start to their innings, reaching 40 for two in the Power Play segment even though their batters were not always convincing.
After the early dismissal of Innocent Kaia, who dragged a Mukesh Kumar delivery onto his stumps, Wessly Madhevere and Brian Bennett added 34 runs in quick time.
The highlight of their alliance was the fifth over in which they plundered 17 runs off left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed.
Bennett hammered him for two successive boundaries as Zimbabwe seemed to have recovered from the early loss of Kaia.
But the ouster of Bennett by Bishnoi in the sixth over changed the complexion of Zimbabwe’s innings. Bennett could not read Bishnoi’s googly, which also carried three more Zimbabwe batters to their doom later Madhevere, Blessing Muzarabani and Luke Jongwe.
They crawled to 74 for three from there, courtesy the patience of skipper Sikandar Raza but lost their way from that point, losing six wickets for 41 runs.
The hosts’ batters seemed to have slipped into a state of panic, evidenced by the dismissal of Jonathan Campbell, son of former Zimbabwe skipper Alastair Campbell.
Campbell pushed an Avesh Khan delivery to the covers and called for a single and his partner Dion Myers responded.
But Campbell changed his mind suddenly and stayed back as Myers crossed the crease, forcing the former to walk back.
Their last hope rested on experienced Raza, and he raised some hope, smashing Avesh for a six over the bowler’s head.
But the extra bounce Avesh generated soon did Raza in as his mis-timed pull ended in the hands of Bishnoi in the deep.
Washington joined the party with two wickets in as many balls, jettisoning Myers and Wellington Maskadza off consecutive balls.
In the process, the Tamil Nadu man also completed 100 wickets in T20s.
Clive Madande’s cameo helped Zimbabwe go past the 100-run mark.
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