HARARE: Half-centuries from wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and vice-captain Tilak Varma propelled India to a formidable 219/5 in 20 overs after being put in to bat by Zimbabwe in the second T20I at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Kishan smashed 81 off 44 balls – 46 of which came from mid-wicket and long-on regions, as he employed the pull shot to perfection. Varma, on the other hand, provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 60 off 29 deliveries – 16 of those runs came off the cut shot, to ensure India crossed the 210-run mark. For Zimbabwe, it was a day to forget with the ball as everyone returned with an economy rate of above eight.
After India were pushed to bat first, Abhishek Sharma struck back-to-back boundaries in the first over off Sikandar Raza to get India off to a brisk start before Blessing Muzarabani turned the tide in the second over by removing him for eight after the opener spliced a back-of-a-length delivery straight to backward point.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, fresh off hitting his first T20I fifty, attempted to counter-attack by launching Richard Ngarava for a six and three boundaries in a 19-run third over, with the pull shot fetching him great rewards. But Ngarava got his revenge on the final ball as he had Sooryavanshi caught off his own bowling for 20.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer stabilised the innings alongside Kishan, but Brian Bennett broke the 42-run partnership in the 10th over when Iyer mistimed a cut shot to backward point and departed for 25. Kishan then took control with his measured shot selection to reach his half-century in 33 balls before launching a stunning assault on the Zimbabwean bowling attack.
Joined by Varma, the duo added 94 runs for the fourth wicket. Kishan’s fiery knock came to an end in the 18th over, when he miscued to deep point off Nyamhuri after striking nine fours and two sixes. Varma then picked up the momentum by reaching his fifty in 23 balls, even as Rinku Singh chipped in with a quickfire 12 before falling to Evans, and Shivam Dube finished the innings with a four off the penultimate ball to push India past the 210-mark.
Brief scores:
India 219/5 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 81, Tilak Varma 60 not out; Brian Bennett 1-22, Newman Nyamhuri 1-25) against Zimbabwe
