Chennai, Feb 26 (UNI) In a must win situation after the rude jolt against the Proteas in the Super 8 opener, Indian batters went all guns blazing right from the start to score its highest ever T20 World Cup total scoring 256 for four, thanks to Abhishiek Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s blitzkreig knocks and the top and middle order joining the party in their second contest against an wounded Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram stadium here on Thursday night.
India ticked all the boxes correctly, with the openers setting the stage, the middle order chipping in with cameo knocks, before Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma provided the finishing touches with a flourish as defending champions India registered its highest total and also of this edition,setting an imposing target for Zimbabwe, which hasto rue its decision of asking the home team to bat first on a good wicket.
All the Zimbabwe bowlers were taken to the screeners, as the Indian top and middle order collectively fired when it mattered most blowing the rival attack to smithereens.
The fact that India’s innings was punctuated with a record 17 sixers and equal number of fours, scoring more than 60 per cent of their runs in boundaries, was proof enough of the home team’s domination of the Zimbabwe attack, which looked pedestrian.
After Abhishek Sharma signalled his return to form after a wretched run with a scintillating half century in 30 balls and Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, skipper Suryakumar Yadav chipping in with rapid fire knocks, Hardik and Tilak took over the mantle providing the final flourish adding 84 runs in 31 balls to set an uphill task for Zimbabweans, which was humbled by West Indies by a huge margin two days back.
Both India and Zimbabwe entered the Super 8 phase as unbeaten teams, but suffered rude shocks in their opening contests and today’s key match was a do or die battle and was a matter for survival for bothe of them to keep their chances of making it to the last four afloat.
And keeping this in mind, India made most of the Zimbabwe’s decision asking the home to team to bat first.
With the batters demolishing the bowlers, it was now left to the bowlers to restrict their rivals to a low total as far as possible to increase their net runrate.
None of the Zimbabwean bowlers were spared except spinner Brian Bennett who went for 16 runs in two overs, while others conceded more than 10 runs in their overs.
In the end, Hardik remained unbeaten on a 23-ball 50 with two fours and four sixers, while Tilak Varma equally coming up with a blazing innings and remained undefeated on 44 runs in just 16 balls with three fours and four sixers.
Asked to bat first, India got off to a flier with Sanju Samson returning to the side for this key contest, opening the innings with Abhishek Sharma.
In need of a big score to up the net runrate, which was expected to play a key factor in deciding the outcome of the second team making it to the semifinals (South Africa qualified with 2 wins), the duo stitched the highest opening wicket stand in this edition, adding 48 in 3.4 overs, after plundering 23 runs in the first over of pacer Tinotenda Maposa (the third of the innings), who was drafted in this side for this key match.
Sanju as usual played a nice little cameo (24, 15 balls, 1×4, 2×6), before picking up the lone fielder at midwicket. But Abhishek, after a wretched run in this edition thus far with three zeros, returned back to his prime form when it mattered most as he and Ishan Kishan, who came in No 3 took the attack to the Zimbabwe cap.
India finished first five overs at 63 for one and ended the power play at 80 for one, setting a solid platform for total in excess of 200-plus.
They continued to pummel the Zimbabwean bowlers with a flurry of sixers and boundaries as India reached half way stage at 109 for one
after Ishan was dropped at deep square leg going for reverse slog sweep.
However, he fell in the next over much against the run of play, hitting a short ball of spinner and captain Sikandar Raza straight to short third man after scoring a quickfire 38 (24 balls, 4×4, 1×6) and in the process added 72 for the second wicket with Abhishek in seven overs.
Abhishek in the company of skipper Suryakumar Yadav reached his first half century of this editio in 26 balls, before he too fell holding out to long on as India reached 150 for three in the 13th over. Abhishek scored 55 (30 balls, 4×6, 4×4) and added 30 runs with the skipper for the third wikcet in 2.1 overs to consolidate the innings further.
Surya and Hardik Pandya continued to helm the innings adding 22 runs for the four wicket, before the skipper too fell trying to up the run rate. He scored a swashbuckling 33 in 13 balls with three fours and two sixers and fell in the 15th over, setting the stage for Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma to deal the death overs, thereby crossing the 200 mark in the 17th over.
The continued their onslaught plundering 80 runs in the last five to help India score its highest ever total in the T20 World Cup leaving a mountain to climb for the Zimbabweans as India bettered its pevious highest score of 218 for four made against England in the 2007 edition.
Following is the scoreboard :
India :
Sanju Samson c Ryan Burl b Muzarabani 24
Abhishek Sharma c Sikandar Raza b Maposa 55
Ishan Kishan c Ngarava b Sikandar Raza 38
Suryakumar Yadav c Musekiwa b Nagarava 33
Hardik Pandya (not out) 50
Tilak Varma (not out) 44
Extras : (LB-4, NB-1, W-7) 12
Total : 256 for four in 20 overs.
Fall of wickets : 1-48, 2-120, 3-150, 4-172.
Zimbabwe bowling :
Richard Ngarava 4-0-62-1
Blessing Muzarabani 4-0-43-1
Tinotenda Maposa 2-0-40-1
Brad Evans 4-0-52-0
Sikandar Raza 3-0-29-1
Brian Bennet 2-0-16-0
Ryan Burl 1-0-10-0.
