Harare: India defended 138 to end up victors in a thrilling match that gave the visitors 2-1 win in the T20 series against Zimbabwe, here on Wednesday.
Needing 21 runs in the last over to win the match and the series, the hosts were all guns blazing against Barinder Sran as they scored 11 runs off one ball (as the second ball bowled was wide and the next one a no ball). However, Sran kept his nerves and conceded just one run in the next three. Though Chigumbura scored a four on the fifth ball, Sran took his wicket on the last ball with a low full toss delivery.
Speaking about the win, Barinder Sran, who was Man-of-the-Series, said, "21 runs is a lot for the final over. I was confident we were going to win. I started with a different plan but then changed it.”
Indian skipper MS Dhoni said, “In this format, the games usually get close. Zimbabwe did well. They bowled well. They need more games to get better. It was a difficult one. We did what was right to put in the opposition in the ODIs. It is right way to play cricket. In the fast bowling department, we need a good pool of players. Now we can proudly say we have 10-12 players who can play. It’s important to turn up for India. Personally I feel we got more from the T20s than the ODIs.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe skipper Graeme Cremer said: “It’s disappointing, but happy with the way the guys fought. One-day series was a tough beating. It’s nice to get a few more games. If we carry on playing, we'll get better.”
