Zimbabwe had their moments in Chennai and pushed India as much as they could. But the Men in Blue were too good as India kept their hopes alive with a 72-run win and with South Africa winning earlier in the day, it meant Net Run Rate was out of the window and a direct quarter-final clash between India and West Indies awaited at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Zimbabwe could have done better and it started with the toss decision of bowling first and then things just went out of hand too quickly. The pitch was flat and India made most of it. We will try and give three reasons for Zimbabwe’s loss to India.
Conceding 80/1 in first 6 overs hurt Zimbabwe.Â
Zimbabwe put India into bat first and hoped for some help from surface and early wickets. But what they got was proper thrashing as India came out all guns blazing against Zimbabwe. Sanju Samson started it off by smashing the bowling before Abhishek Sharma got in and then exploded against the pacers. Even Zimbabwe did not try spin against India as it was a left-hand right-hand combination opening for India.
But apart from Blessing Muzarabani the rest went the distance including Richard Ngarava. They bowled and fed to India’s strengths and India took advantage of it playing fearless cricket. Sanju fell to Muzarabani but Ishan Kishan made sure that the momentum was not lost at all as India just went at the bowling. Some balls on the pads were bowled and it became so easy for India. India lost Samson but posted 80/1 in 6 overs and got a perfect platform to go big.
Zimbabwe bowlers were in tatters but it was a nice learning curve for them going forward. They need to bowl the right lines and lengths and not get overawed with the situation. They did that and how with bat in hand, but lost the plot totally with bat in hand. Once 80 was scored, 200 was a given and India upped the ante more and got a huge score. No bowler was spared and it’s back to the drawing board for them.
Conceding 80 runs in last 5 overs to Hardik Pandya & Tilak Varma sealed Zimbabwe’s fate.Â
After conceding 80 in the powerplay for the loss of one wicket, Zimbabwe tried to peg things back a bit in middle phase as they picked up 3 wickets but India were still well-placed at 176/4 in 15 overs. So, India had added 96 runs in 9 overs for the loss of 3 wickets again healthy run rate, but a pull back nonetheless from the Chevrons. But what followed post 15 overs was death overs carnage from the Indian duo of Hardik and Tilak.
Both took on the bowling and smashed them as death bowling too went for a toss from Zimbabwe as length deliveries and full tosses were dished out in regularity. India did not need second invitation and clobbered them to all parts of the ground. Hardik was special but Tilak batting out of position at 6 showed his class and scored a rapid 44 off 16 balls while Pandya hit two sixes off last two balls to complete his fifty.
Going forward, Zimbabwe needs to learn how to bowl at the death against strong oppositions and set batters. This was the second consecutive game where bowlers conceded 250+. They did so against West Indies in Mumbai and now in Chennai against India, both the times they wanted to chase. Zimbabwe needs to realise this is not Zimbabwe where chasing is the way to go. But their bowlers really need to up their game in future games. Otherwise, against big teams, they will struggle.
Lack of support for consistent Brian Bennett showed shortcomings in batting.Â
Chasing a massive 257 for the win, Zimbabwe made a match out of it as much as it can. Brian Bennett whom we call Mr. Consistent showed his class with an unbeaten 97 and carried his bat and made sure that the Chevrons don’t fall away quickly. But it showed that Zimbabwe lacked proper hitters down the order. Marumani got a start and could not kick on as Zimbabwe made a sedate start against the Indians. Bennett was doing the bulk of the scoring last night.
Marumani fell and then Dion Myers did not last long either. Sikandar Raza played some powerful shots in the end and showed what he is capable of, but Bennett did not get the required support he needed. Having said that, they batted as well as they could have knowing their limitations. That’s why had the Chevrons batted first in both games, then the situation could have been different.
184 is a good score batting first and that might have put India under pressure because India failed to chase 180+ against the Proteas and may have felt the heat. But it was not to be as India batted with freedom and got to 250+. Raza fell so did Burl and then it was just a matter of time as Zimbabwe played 20 overs in the end. In their last game against South Africa, Zimbabwe will want to end on a high and improve on these aspects, although it won’t be easy against them in New Delhi.
What Lies Ahead.Â
So, Zimbabwe will play their last game against South Africa in New Delhi on Sunday afternoon while India gears up to face West Indies in Kolkata in the evening in a virtual quarterfinal clash. More action to come from the Super 8s as action shifts to Group 2 where England takes on New Zealand in Colombo. New Zealand needs a win for a semi-final spot. England are already there as Pakistan watches with bated breath in their hotel rooms.
Let’s see how this game pans out later tonight.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: India Destroys Zimbabwe To Keep Their Semi-Finals Hopes Alive.