Ind Vs Zim: India post 256/4 and beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs at Chepauk
In ind vs zim Super Eight action in Chennai on Thursday, India piled up 256/4 and held Zimbabwe to 184/6 to claim a 72-run victory, leaving the defending champions with a winner-takes-all match against the West Indies on Sunday.
Ind Vs Zim at Chepauk
India’s 256/4 at Chepauk was the highest total of this edition and the second-highest in T20 World Cup history. After Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and put India into bat, Sanju Samson returned to the playing XI and opened with Abhishek Sharma; Samson belted the second ball of the innings for six but fell in the fourth over, by which point India had motored to 80/1 in the powerplay.
Big hits, big boundaries
Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya both scored half-centuries — Sharma brought up his maiden T20I fifty in 26 balls and finished 55 off 30 with four fours and four sixes, while Pandya’s breezy 50 came off 23 balls. India struck 17 sixes and 17 fours, totalling 170 runs in boundaries, and raced past 150 in the 13th over, 200 in the 17th and through 250 in the final over. Pandya and Tilak Varma (44 not out) added an unbeaten 84 in 31 balls for the fifth wicket, with Pandya hitting two sixes off the last two balls to reach his fifty and take India to the big total.
Zimbabwe fought but Bennett shone
Zimbabwe made a steady start, reaching 44/0 in the powerplay, but were pegged back and ultimately held to 184/6. Brian Bennett produced a valiant 97 not out — his fifty came in 36 balls and included a six off Jasprit Bumrah — while Sikandar Raza added 31. Axar Patel, returning to India’s playing XI, dismissed opener Tadiwanashe Marumani with his second ball. Zimbabwe’s bowlers were under pressure by India’s big hitting, and they also dropped at least two regulation catches during the innings.
Kumble’s warning before the match
Former India skipper Anil Kumble had warned India not to be complacent ahead of the Super 8 clash in Chennai, urging the Men in Blue on JioHotstar to back their natural aggressive approach while remaining wary of Zimbabwe’s form. Kumble pointed to Zimbabwe’s group-stage campaign — which included a win over Australia and a successful chase of 179 against co-hosts Sri Lanka — and highlighted the threat posed by tall fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, who have troubled batters with bounce and movement in the Powerplay. "India cannot take them lightly. They need to be at the top of their game, " Kumble said, adding that any individual who gets going must make it count and that in the T20 World Cup "you have to go out and deliver as an individual. "
Pressure, permutations and what comes next
India entered the Super Eight under pressure after a 76-run defeat to Aiden Markram’s South Africa in their opening Super 8 fixture, a loss that left them in a must-win position. To stay in contention, India need victories over Zimbabwe and West Indies while also significantly improving a Net Run Rate of -3. 800. South Africa have already booked a final-four spot, and the India vs West Indies clash on Sunday is effectively a knockout, with the winner progressing in the tournament.
Captains reflect and the tournament moves on
The India captain said: "We wanted to leave everything behind – we didn’t think about the group stage or the last game. We looked at everything with our analysts and we performed. They batted very smartly, but we could have been better with the bowling to take our smart options. A win is a win but we could have been better with the ball. We will improve and tighten the screws against the West Indies. When we are in such situations (an effective knockout against West Indies) we will have to be more positive, but a day off tomorrow and relax. " The Zimbabwe captain added: "I look at a lot of positives. We were a lot more composed today compared to the last game. We can take heart and that is what I’ll do. " Broadcasters then turned attention to Pakistan against India, and coverage will move to Pakistan v Sri Lanka on Saturday.
India now head into Sunday’s showdown with the West Indies knowing a win will see them progress; Zimbabwe’s Super Eights run ends after their breakthrough group-stage results that included victories over Australia and Sri Lanka.
