India defeated Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the five-match series to achieve 1-1 parity with the Chevrons on Sunday, July 7. Well led by Abhishek Sharma's century, the Men in Blue clinched the second contest by 100 runs at the Harare Sports Club.
Abhishek became the first player to score a T20I century in India vs Zimbabwe matches. He also achieved a few more records en route to his three-figure mark. The 23-year-old explosive batter had bagged a duck in his first match for India, the previous T20I vs Zimbabwe.
Abhishek has joined a rare list of players to begin their T20I careers with a duck followed by a century in their first two innings. He has become only the third player to start their 20-over career with a duck and a century with Evin Lewis Romania's Sivakumar Periyalwar.
Abhishek was dismissed on duck by Brian Bennett in the first T20I of the series when he top-edged a slog to deep mid-wicket. But this time, he batted on a different level. He went loose first but then became careful.
The left-handed opener brought up his fifty in 33 balls but shifted gears in a big way while reaching his fifty. He smashed 26 runs in one over to Dion Myers in the 11th over. The SRH opener brought up his hundred in 46 balls, the joint third-fastest for an Indian.
The two innings taken by him is the least taken by an Indian to smash a T20I hundred. For his performance, he was adjudged the Player of the Match.
"I think it was a pretty good performance by me, the defeat we had yesterday, it wasn't easy for us. I felt today was my day and I made it count. I feel T20 is about momentum and I took it to the end. Special mention to the coaches, captains and the team management to keep confidence. I always feel that as a youngster if it's your day, you have to express yourself. We were talking after every over and he (Ruturaj) said to me that you should take it on. I always believe in my ability, if it's in my arc and even if it's the first ball, I will go after it," Abhishek said after the match.
