India claim 4-1 T20I series win over Zimbabwe: Key takeaways
India defeated Zimbabwe in the fifth T20I in Harare to win the series 4-1. The Men in Blue racked up 167/6 in 20 overs after Zimbabwe elected to field. Sanju Samson smashed an innings-defining 58 for India. Zimbabwe were later restricted to 125, with Mukesh Kumar taking a four-wicket haul. There were plenty of positives for a rather young Team India in the series.
A look at match summary
Yashasvi Jaiswal started India's innings with a bang but departed in the first over. India also lost Abhishek Sharma and skipper Shubman Gill within the Powerplay. However, Samson and Riyan Parag took India past 100 from 40/3. Shivam Dube's 12-ball 26 eventually drove India to 167/6. In the second innings, Mukesh took two early wickets before Zimbabwe suffered a batting collapse.
Experiment with top order
Gill, in his first-ever bilateral international series as captain, experimented with the top three. Each of the three batters, including Gill as well as Abhishek and Jaiswal played impactful knocks. Abhishek proved his mettle with a historic and match-winning hundred in the 2nd T20I where he opened. Meanwhile, Jaiswal and Gill starred in India's 10-wicket win in the 4th T20I.
All-rounder Washington Sundar in full swing
Washington Sundar made a mark as a serious spin-bowling all-rounder in the five-match series. Sundar, who bowls off-spin, took at least one wicket in each of the five games. He also scored a crucial 27 in the series opener, albeit in losing cause. Sundar, whose career has been dented by perpetual injuries, was in full swing in the Zimbabwe series.
Emergence of part-time bowlers
India discovered a couple of other bowling options in the shortest format. While Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed excelled as pacers, Ravi Bishnoi stood out as the frontline spinner. Tushar Deshpande, who was handed his debut, also came into his own in the final two games. One of the highlights was the success of Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube as part-time bowlers.
Eight wickets for Mukesh
It is worth noting that Mukesh finished the series with eight wickets, the joint-most for an India pacer in a T20I bilateral series. Deepak Chahar (once) and Shardul Thakur (twice) have also attained this feat for India.
