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Gill continued his impressive form, scoring a well-crafted 66 off 49 deliveries, setting the stage for a strong finish. With the game running away from Zimbabwe,
In a captivating encounter at the Harare Sports Club, the Indian cricket team secured a convincing 23-run victory over Zimbabwe in the third T20I match. Opting to bat first, India got off to a solid start as the new opening pair of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 67 runs for the first wicket off 49 balls.
Gill continued his impressive form, scoring a well-crafted 66 off 49 deliveries, setting the stage for a strong finish. With the game running away from Zimbabwe, captain Sikandar Raza’s golden arm brought his team back into the contest, dismissing Jaiswal and the dangerous Abhishek Sharma in consecutive overs to leave India on 81/2 after 10.3 overs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad then walked in at number four and added 72 runs for the third wicket off 44 balls with the Indian skipper, helping the team cross the 150-run mark. Some late flourish from Sanju Samson (12* off 7) and Gaikwad (49 off 28) helped India finish their innings on a high, posting a formidable total of 182/4.
Zimbabwe’s chase got off to a disastrous start, with Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed striking early blows. The hosts found themselves in deep trouble at 39/5 after seven overs, but a spirited 77-run partnership between Dion Myers and Clive Madande (37 off 26) kept them in the hunt.
With the required run rate getting out of hand, Madande tried to take on Washington Sundar in the 17th over but could only find Rinku Singh in the deep to leave his team reeling at 116/6. After losing his partner, Myers continued to play his shots and brought up his maiden T20I fifty (65* off 49). However, it wasn’t enough to get his team over the line as Zimbabwe fell short by 23 runs, finishing on 159/6.
The Indian bowlers put in a disciplined performance, with Washington Sundar (3/15) and Avesh Khan (2/39) leading the charge. Ravi Bishnoi’s stunning catch and Khaleel Ahmed’s timely dismissals further dented Zimbabwe’s hopes of a successful chase.
With this victory, India have taken a 2-1 lead in the series. The two teams will now face off in the fourth T20I on Saturday, July 13, at the same venue, as India look to seal the series.
