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Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
India 138-6 (20 overs) Jadhav 58, Patel 20*, Rayudu 20. Tiripano 3/20
Zimbabwe 135-6 (20 overs) Sibanda 28, Moor 26, Maruma 23. Kulkarni 2/23, Sran 2/31

India won by three runs and the three-match series 2-1
ZIMBABWE suffered a heartbreaking three-run defeat to India in a thriller in the third and final match of the Prayag Cup Twenty20 International at Harare Sports Club yesterday to hand the visitors a 2-1 series victory.

Vusumuzi Sibanda top scored with 28 runs and Peter Moor weighed in with 26 as Zimbabwe fell short of India’s tally by three runs.

Timycen Maruma slammed 23 runs off 13 deliveries comprising one four and two sixes, but could not guide Zimbabwe over the line as they could only manage 135 for the loss of six wickets to India’s 138-6.

India were propelled by a fortunate 58 runs from man-of-the-match Kedar Jadhav, who was dropped twice in the visitors’ innings.

It was a good chase by Zimbabwe, who only scored 17 runs from the last over in which they required 21 to win.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers did well at the beginning of India’s innings after skipper Graeme Cremer had won the toss and put the tourists in to bat.

Bowler Tendai Chatara registered a maiden over in his opening spell. Mandeep Singh was the first Indian wicket to fall, caught by Maruma off the bowling of Donald Tiripano for four runs. Neville Madziva bowled Kannaur Lokesh Rahul for 22, while Manish Pandey went for a duck after being run out by Elton Chigumbura reducing India to 27 for three.

Jadhav was first dropped on 15 runs by Hamilton Masakadza off the bowling of Chibhabha.

Cremer picked up his first wicket of the tour when Ambati Rayudu’s shot found Elton Chigumbura at long on to depart for 20.

Tiripano was pumped up when he bowled MS Dhoni for nine runs off 13 balls, with the Indian captain edging the ball onto his stumps to leave the visitors at 93 for five in the 17th over. Jadhav was dropped again on 35 by Madziva, who couldn’t hold onto the ball.

He finally departed to Tiripano in the 19th over, caught at mid on by Chigumbura.

Sloppy fielding mixed with some missed run out opportunities saw India scoring more than they should have. Madziva bowled a costly last over, giving away 16 runs.

Tiripano took three wickets for 20 runs in four overs, while Madziva and Cremer took one wicket each.

Zimbabwe needed to score at 6.95 runs per over, but did not get off to a good start, as bowled by man of the series Barinder Sran bowled a maiden over in the home team’s innings.

Chibhabha showed some discomfort after being hit by a Sran delivery and the left-arm seamer snared him in the second over to hit to Yuzvendra Chahal for a catch at mid wicket for five runs off 10 balls.

Zimbabwe looked good with a second-wicket stand of 40 runs between Masakadza and Sibanda until the former departed for 15, trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Axar Patel.

Sibanda was also adjudged to have been trapped leg before by Dhawal Kulkarni.

Moor kept Zimbabwe in the hunt with some lusty blows to Chahal, smashing three sixes, but the bowler had the last laugh, getting the batsman caught by Singh for 26 from 21 deliveries.

Chigumbura was dropped on seven runs by Dhoni failing to hold onto the ball. Waller went for 10, taken by Bumrah at short third man to dent Zimbabwe’s run chase.

Maruma pulled Bumrah for a six through mid wicket to bring Zimbabwe’s target to 22 from eight deliveries.

Zimbabwe required 21 runs from the last over bowled by Sran, with Chigumbura and Maruma at the crease.

Maruma hammered the first ball for a massive six and the second was a wide. The third delivery was a no ball and smashed for four, but Zimbabwe failed to take advantage of the free hit, which was a dot ball, followed by another dot ball.

A single was then taken to bring Chigumbura on strike and he guided the ball to the ropes to leave Zimbabwe requiring four runs off the last ball. Chigumbura was taken at cover by Chahal to hand India victory.