India restricts Zim to 111 in 1st T20

Shaking off the tri-series rust, Indian bowlers showed discipline and restricted Zimbabwe to a meager 111 for nine in the first Twenty20 International at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

India, who had their reputation at stake after the mauling in the tri-series, gave them a chance to redeem their pride with their bowlers, pacers as well as spinners, at last coming to the party.

Paceman R Vinay Kumar (3/24) was the most successful bowler with three wickets while Ashok Dinda (2/27) and Pragyan Ojha (2/11) accounted for two victims apiece.


For the hosts, Chamu Chibhabha (40) and Craig Ervine (30) stood tall amid ruins as their middle and lower order collapsed after a sound start.

Opting to field, Vinay Kumar gave India the perfect start and landed the first blow to the hosts as early as in the fourth ball of the match when he got rid of Hamilton Masakadza (1), caught by skipper Suresh Raina in extra cover.

Vinay Kuamr was hit for a four and two sixes in his next over by Chibhabha and Brendan Taylor (15) but the paceman got his revenge when he caught the latter plumb in front of the wicket in the last ball of the same over.

Despite two setbacks, the hosts were off to a flier with Dinda and Vinay Kumar leaking 41 runs off the first four overs.

With runs flowing freely from the pacers, Raina introduced R Ashwin into the attack as early as in the sixth over and the off-spinner responded instantly with the wicket of Tatenda Taibu (4), who found Rohit Sharma at mid-on while attempting a big shot.

After the early onslaught, runs were difficult to come by with Raina pressing into service another spinner -- Pragyan Ojha, but Chibhabha, somehow, managed to find the odd boundary.

With spinners ruling the roost in the low and slow Harare Sports Ground pitch, Raina got tempted to use more of slow bowlers and the decision paid off well with Piyush Chawla trapping dangerous-looking Chibhabha, whose entertained with five fours and a six during his 30-ball stay.

Ojha then dimissed rival skipper Elton Chigumbura (3) and Greg Lamb (0) in space of three deliveries to leave the hosts gasping at 81 for six.

Dinda then did an Ojha by scalping Ervine and Raymond Price in the penultimate over of the innings.