[1]India needed only 15 overs to inflict a crushing six wicket defeat on Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club here on Saturday in the first of two Twenty-20 matches over the weekend. The Indians restricted a defensive minded Zimbabwe to 111/9 in their 20 overs and overtook this poor effort with five overs and much of the afternoon to spare, coasting to 112/4.
Yusuf Pathan top-scored with an aggressive 37 not out, and picked up the man of the match award for his efforts. Virat Kohli, undefeated on 26, and Suresh Raina (28) also chipped in.
It was all too easy in the end but India did have their scares. They lost Murali Vijay with only seven runs on the board when he popped up an easy catch to Prosper Utseya. Then the departure of Numan Ojha on 12 had them on the back foot.
Raina eased the crisis before left-arm spinner Ray Price claimed two wickets in his first over, removing both Raina and Rohit Sharma. It was Price’s 34th birthday but it wasn’t quite the happy day he would have hoped for — his two wickets cost 24 runs in two overs.
At 48/4, it looked a little rocky for India but Kohli and Pathan saw them home with a flurry of sixes and boundaries as the pressure was released. It was not so much an Indian success as a Zimbabwe failure of batting tactics. The main culprit was Craig Ervine, who needed 47 balls for his 30 runs.
Chamu Chibhabha made 40 from 30 balls but with the in-form Brendan Taylor going for 15 and fellow opener Hamilton Masakadza making just one, Zimbabwe were always struggling to post an imposing total.
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