India scripted a comfortable 71-run win over Zimbabwe at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, finishing their Super 12 stage on a high. The win over the African side confirmed India’s top spot in Group 2 with eight points, with Pakistan being the second team to have qualified for the semi-finals after they finished with six points.
The win will add a boost for Team India, who face England in the second semi-final at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
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Pakistan will play New Zealand in the first semi-final at Sydney Cricket Ground.
As usual, an Indian game does not go without being talked about. And the fixture against Zimbabwe shall be no different.
From Suryakumar Yadav’s scintillating knock to Zimbabwe’s mini-revival and Virat Kohli’s 50th T20I catch, there were some significant talking points throughout the game.
SKY’s the limit for Suryakumar Yadav, yet again
They say sky is the limit and in the ongoing T20 World Cup Down Under, Suryakumar Yadav, Team India’s SKY, seems to have taken that statement quite seriously.
Against Zimbabwe on Sunday, Suryakumar played a fine, unbeaten knock of 61 from just 25 deliveries, which consisted of six fours and four sixes.
That was his third half-century of the T20 World Cup. Ever since enduring a knock of 15 against Pakistan in Melbourne, Suryakumar has scores of 51*, 68, 30, and 61* in India’s next four group games, and he’s giving no signs of slowing down just yet.
With the knock, SKY became the first Indian, and just the second cricketer overall to score 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year, with Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan doing it in 2021.
Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl fight back
Zimbabwe were reeling at 36/5 in the eighth over of the 186-run chase, but Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl fought back valiantly in the game. They forged a stand of 60 runs from 35 balls, and tackled the spinners quite bravely.
Ashwin and Axar Patel endured nightmares. Ashwin conceded 12 runs in his first over, whereas Axar Patel’s first over cost 16.
It was Ashwin, who then struck in the 14th over, to clean up Ryan Burl and break the partnership.
All there was to play for, for Zimbabwe before this match was pride, but that partnership would certainly have brought smiles as well, to thousands of fans.
Virat Kohli – KL Rahul stand
Rohit Sharma struggled yet again in the powerplay overs. Rohit was dismissed for 15 in the fourth over of the innings when he launched Blessing Muzarabani’s short delivery towards square leg, and Wellington Masakadza gobbled the catch.
However, in came in some brilliant form currently – Virat Kohli – and forged a 60-run stand with KL Rahul for the second wicket.
Kohli had scored three fifties in the T20 World Cup before this, but could not replicate that form as he managed only 26.
However, KL Rahul notched up yet another fine half-century, coming off 35 balls with three fours and three sixes.
The duo of Rahul and Kohli were instrumental in taking India to 79/1 in 10 overs, and that helped them put up a formidable total at the MCG.
More importantly, Rahul is finally getting some game time with the bat, and another fifty would only give him confidence before the semi-final against England.
Zimbabwe restricted inside the powerplay
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh generated some brilliant swing with the ball and that helped India restrict Zimbabwe to 28/3 in the first six overs.
Bhuvneshwar struck on the very first ball to remove Wesley Madhevere, and in the very next over, Arshdeep did his bit in cleaning up Regis Chakabva.
Sean Williams and Craig Ervine tried to steady the ship, but all they could forge were 26 runs for the third wicket before Mohammed Shami removed Williams.
Zimbabwe lost half their side before the 10th over, and not even a 60-run stand between Raza and Burl could save the African side.
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