Abhishek Sharma announced his arrival on the big stage with a breathtaking 46-ball century as India pummelled Zimbabwe by a whopping 100 runs in the second T20I to restore parity in the five-game series.
This is India’s biggest victory in terms of runs against Zimbabwe in T20Is. The young Indian side didn’t carry the baggage of a shock-13-run defeat in the series-opener as India posted a mammoth 234 for two on a track where batting wasn’t exactly easy.
The ask was already stiff and Indian bowlers got breakthroughs at regular intervals to bowl out Zimbabwe for 134 in 18.4 overs to set the record straight.
Pacers Mukesh Kumar (3/37) and Avesh Khan (3/15) removed the top-order inside the Powerplay to kill the contest which became a formality after that.
The day, however, certainly belonged to Abhishek, who mixed grace and power in equal measure in an innings embellished with eight sixes and seven fours.
The SRH batter opened his international run account with a pulled six off-spinner Brian Bennett, who had got the better of him in the first T20I.
Abhishek got a reprieve on 27 when Wellington Masakadza dropped a regulation skier off Luke Jongwe. There was no catching the youngster after that.
The shot that was most pleasing to the eye was his inside out six off rival skipper Sikandar Raza, lofting his off-break with the turn over extra cover boundary. If that was elegance personified, the manner in which he muscled left-arm spinner Masakadza into the orbit with back-to-back sixes was a testimony to his brute power.
Abhishek raised his milestone hundred when he guided a wayward full-toss on leg-stump behind the square for a maximum before being dismissed off the very next delivery.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA
Shubman Gill c Bennett b Muzarabani 2 (4b), Abhishek Sharma c Myers b Masakadza 100 (47b, 7×4, 8×6), Ruturaj Gaikwad (not out) 77 (47b, 11×4, 1×6), Rinku Singh (not out) 48 (22b, 2×4, 5×6); Extras (w-7): 7; Total (for two wkts. in 20 overs): 234.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-10 (Gill, 1.2 overs), 2-147 (Abhishek, 13.6).
ZIMBABWE BOWLING
Bennett 2-0-22-0, Muzarabani 4-1-30-1, Chatara 4-0-38-0, Raza 3-0-34-0, Jongwe 4-0-53-0, Myers 1-0-28-0, Masakadza 2-0-29-1.
ZIMBABWE
Innocent Kaia b Mukesh 4 (3b, 1×4), Wessly Madhevere b Bishnoi 43 (39b, 3×4, 1×6), Brian Bennett b Mukesh 26 (9b, 1×4, 3×6), Dion Myers c Rinku b Avesh 0 (1b), Sikandar Raza c Jurel b Avesh 4 (4b, 1×4), Johnathan Campbell c Bishnoi b Washington 10 (18b), Clive Madande lbw b Bishnoi 0 (4b), Wellington Masakadza run out 1 (3b), Luke Jongwe c Ruturaj b Mukesh 33 (26b, 4×4), Blessing Muzarabani c Washington b Avesh 2 (4b), Tendai Chatara (not out) 0 (2b); Extras (lb-2, w-8, nb-1): 11; Total (in 18.4 overs): 134.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-4 (Kaia, 0.3), 2-40 (Bennett, 2.6), 3-41 (Myers, 3.2), 4-46 (Raza, 3.6), 5-72 (Campbell, 9.4), 6-73 (Madande, 10.3), 7-76 (Masakadza, 11.1), 8-117 (Madhevere, 16.3), 9-123 (Muzarabani, 17.4).
INDIA BOWLING
Mukesh 3.4-0-37-3, Abhishek 3-0-36-0, Avesh 3-0-15-3, Bishnoi 4-0-11-2, Washington 4-0-28-1, Parag 1-0-5-0.
Toss: India. PoM: Abhishek.
India won by 100 runs to level the five-match series 1-1.
