The decision to bowl backfired as India produced a batting masterclass, scoring 256/4 in 20 overs. Samson scored 24 off 15 balls while Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan added 72 runs for the second wicket in 42 deliveries. Kishan scored 38 out of 24, setting the tone for a big total. Abhishek, who came into the game after three consecutive ducks, responded emphatically with a fluent 55 off 30 balls, hitting four boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of 183.33.
Suryakumar Yadav provided further acceleration with a quick 33 off just 13 deliveries. However, the highlight of the innings was the explosive partnership between Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma. The duo scored 84 runs in just 31 balls for the fifth wicket. Pandya remained unbeaten on 50 off 23 balls, clearing the ropes four times besides two boundaries, while Tilak hit 44* off just 16 deliveries. Zimbabwe’s bowlers shared the four wickets between them but struggled to contain the run flow.
Chasing 257, Zimbabwe posted 184/6 in their 20 overs. Opener Brian Bennett stood strong with an impressive unbeaten 97 off 59 balls, with eight fours and six sixes. He added 72 runs for the third wicket alongside Raza, but the steep target proved insurmountable. Arshdeep Singh played with the ball and claimed 3/24, while three other Indian bowlers took one wicket each.
The defeat knocked Zimbabwe out of the tournament, while South Africa advanced to the semi-finals. India will next take on West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, while Zimbabwe will face South Africa in Delhi.
Who said what?
Hardik Pandya, Player of the Match
Pretty happy. I mean, yeah, it sounds strange 23-ball 50, but I guess I had to reassess the situation too. What I meant by that was that I felt like I was trying to hit too hard. And just into the game I realized that I think I can time the ball and also hit sixes. So I think it was a good game for me to continue the rhythm because I feel like I had a few games where I couldn’t do what I wanted to do. So really satisfied. Obviously South Africa were playing (when asked if he was following the earlier South Africa vs West Indies match) South Africa was playing the West Indies, we were all watching it. You know, now it’s all about playing good cricket, backing your skills, taking the pressure and making sure you put your best foot forward. So yeah, we definitely kept an eye on it, but at the same time, when the game was over, we focused on this being our game. We must concentrate on this. Pretty good (talking about his bowling). I think I like bowling with a new ball. It fluctuates. I mean, God has been kind. I have the skills to bowl both in swing and out of swing. So I really enjoy it. I think it gives me the opportunity to take wickets too. It also challenges the hitter. So yeah, pretty satisfied. I still need to turn my copy over, which I’ll do next.
Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe (losing captain)
Um, I’m a guy who looked at a lot of positive things. I think the positive today for me is that the last match was 250 and I felt there was a bit of panic and haste in our batting line-up. I always say that you can’t win the game in the first six overs, but you can certainly lose it if you chase a big total. Today I thought we were much more composed in the first six overs. We also tried to give ourselves a chance. And I thought the way the boys batted compared to the previous match would definitely take a lot of positives and courage out of it. And that’s what I will do. (about what they could have done differently with the ball?) Yes, I definitely think we could have done our defensive play a little better as well. I think we ended up going at them hammer and tongs, and unfortunately there was a lot of mixed execution when we were bowling from all the bowlers. And they ended up getting a lot of those runs. And once the train gets there, it’s hard to bring it back. So I thought if I just wanted to say one thing, I think we could have executed our defensive plans better. That would have given us a better chance to limit them to maybe 210, 220. And from there you never know. (on their performance) Batting was yes, but I think bowling and fielding, no, I think we could have done better there too. I think, like I said, the last game taught us how to move forward with business when you’re chasing a big total. So I definitely saw that today. Listen, we’re also a work in progress. A lot of youngsters, most of them are playing their first World Cup, the first time ever for us in India. Not that I want to use that as an excuse, but certainly the lessons from the last game, from a batting perspective, I thought we took them very well. And you can see how quickly these guys are willing to improve and they showed up today. (during their last match against South Africa) The result will certainly take care of itself, but what I am looking for is definitely better performances, fielding and bowling. And hopefully we can continue with our batting performance and it should only get better. So if we can match those three like we did in the qualifying stage, we’ll give ourselves the best chance of winning. At the World Cup against the best teams you have to work hard with all three departments. And unfortunately, if one is missing, the game runs away from you. So hopefully in the last game we leave everything on the park and try to get all three of our departments sorted and hopefully that gives us the best chance to win the game.
Suryakumar Yadav, India (winning captain)
I think we wanted to leave everything behind. We didn’t think much about what we did in the league stage or in the last match in Ahmedabad. Our video analyst had made a slide for all the batters and bowlers, highlighting what we did well last year. We looked at that, got a lot of positivity from it and came here with clarity. With contributions from the top up to number seven, I think there was hardly anything missing from our performance. To be honest, we could have been a bit more clinical with the ball. But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and we will take it with us as we move forward. We will definitely tighten a few screws when we play the West Indian cricket team. I don’t want to take any credit away from the Zimbabwean batters. I think they hit beautifully. Yes, the wicket was good, but the way they approached the innings – taking their time in the powerplay and then accelerating smartly – was impressive. The credit goes to them too. However, from a bowling perspective, we could have been a bit smarter with certain options at key moments. In situations like these, we must be courageous in our decisions. There is no other option than to follow the positive route. Once we reach Calcutta, we will sit down and plan the match well. For now it’s about taking a day off, traveling and relaxing.
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