The India vs Zimbabwe ODI series got underway on Thursday at the Harare Sports Club, Harare. Captain KL Rahul, who was making a comeback to the cricket pitch after the Indian T20 League, won the toss and invited Regis Chakabva’s men to bat first.
Zimbabwe Openers Innocent Kaia and T Marumani walked out to the middle to set the tone for the series. For India, it was Deepak Chahar opening the bowling who was also making a return to the team after staying out of action for six months.
The Zimbabwe openers were seen struggling against the opening attack of Chahar and Mohammad Siraj. Both the openers, eventually, lost their wicket to Deepak Chahar, who was relentless. The Zimbabwe batters had no answer to Chahar’s impeccable line and length as it sparked a collapse that reduced them to 31/4.
Captain Chakabva decided to set his eye in and take his team out of trouble but didn’t find support from the other end. After the seamers, it was the turn for Axar Patel to bamboozle Zimbabwe batters who looked clueless in reading his variations. He clean-bowled Chakabva and ended his gritty knock of 35 off 51 balls.
After losing their captain on the score of 107, Zimbabwe looked like getting bowled out under 120 but the tailenders Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava had other plans. The duo were involved in a 70-run-partnership which took their team to a fighting total of 189. Axar Patel was the pick of the bowlers who scalped three wickets for 24 runs in 7.3 overs.
The Indian openers looked relaxed as they walked out to chase the target of 190. Both Shikhar Dhawan and Shubhman Gill started the innings cautiously and set their eye in. The duo gradually started playing some shots and looked completely untroubled by the Zimbabwe bowlers.
After seeing off the first few overs, Gill started to put his stupendous strokeplay and display as he began smashing the ball to all parts of the ground. While Gill played his shots, Dhawan kept on playing calmly and gradually built his innings.
They brought up the 100-run-partnership between them in the 20th over. With the target getting closer, Indian batters launched an all-out attack and reached the target in 30.5 overs and, thereby, took a 1-0 lead in the series. Both Gill and Dhawan remained unbeaten on 81 and 82 respectively. Deepak Chahar was awarded player of the match for picking up 3/27 in his seven overs.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to India’s win:
Visitors have won 1st ODI in style, #TeamIndia hits laurel by 10 wickets vs Zimbabwe, #INDvsZIM #ZIMvIND , Congratulations to India ????? https://t.co/0P5mVD0dEc
— deepaktweets (@deepak_u11) August 18, 2022
India have defeated Zimbabwe in the first ODI by 10 wickets. Shubman Gill scores a fantastic 82, Dhawan scores 81.#IndiavsZimbabwe #INDvsZIM pic.twitter.com/v4kES0jHk9
— News13 Cricket (@News13Cricket) August 18, 2022
India created history – India register 13 consecutive wins against Zimbabwe.
Highest opening stands for India in ODIs in 10 Wicket Wins:
197/0 vs ZIM at Sharjah in 1998
192/0 vs ZIM at Harare in 2022
126/0 vs ZIM at Harare in 2016.— shivam18 ||?? (@shivamprince16) August 18, 2022
India win by 10 wickets
Vs Zimbabwe ?????#Cricket— Aman Banger (@AmanBanger99) August 18, 2022
When you realise oh shit it's India Vs Zimbabwe Odi match today and wanna know the live scorecard but
you find India won by 10 wickets in return.
What a disgusting life am I living now ??????#HecticLife— Gaurav Singh ?? (@GauravSproud) August 18, 2022
@BCCI replace @ImRo45 with @ShubmanGill
#IndiavsZimbabwe#ViratKohli?
*Performance of Shubman Gill in the last 4 ODI matches:*64(53)
43(49)
98*(98)
82*(72) pic.twitter.com/ZFxAvOpgdz— cheeku_18 (@viratian_raj18) August 18, 2022
India vs Zimbabwe odi match performance team india players.#Indian2 #india#INDvsZIM #indiavszim #IndvsZimODIMatch #indiawinsmatchvszim#teamplayers@UNbelievable__v @SDhawan25 @ShubmanGill @BCCI @ZimCricketv @cricbuzz @klrahul pic.twitter.com/4sFGfRu3bR
— UNbelievable videos ? (@UNbelievable__v) August 18, 2022
Shubman Gill certainly has the brightest future among all young Indian Batsmen makes batting look so easy.#IndiavsZimbabwe #Shubmangill
— Udaykapur18 (@udaykapur18) August 18, 2022
Deepak Chahar receives the player of the match on his comeback in the first ODI
3/27 : (7 Overs) ?#WhistlePodu | #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/VEjCZmHb27
— CSK Fans Army™ (@CSKFansArmy) August 18, 2022
According to me, Player of the match in today's match should have been Axar Patel or Shubman Gill.#INDvsZIM
— ???? ?????? (@sonu_rajput008) August 18, 2022
