India registered a dominant 42-run win to beat Zimbabwe in the fifth and final T20I match at Harare Sports Club on Sunday, July 14. Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube shone as the Men in Blues concluded the five-match tour with a 4-1 win.
After losing the toss for the first time in this series, Shubman Gill recalled Riyan Parag and Mukesh Kumar in India's playing eleven. India struggled for a start but Sanju Samson's brilliant fifty and a late cameo from Shivam Dube helped them score a fighting total of 167/6.
Mukesh Kumar gave India a sensational start with two early wickets but Zimbabwe kept the score balanced after the first ten overs of play. Dube also shone with a ball with two timely wickets and Mukesh Kumar took two more wickets in his last spell to bowl out Zimbabwe to 125 in 18.3 overs.
Batting first, Yashasvi Jaiswal started with two sixes on the first two balls of the game but lost his wicket while attempting the third one in the same over. Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma also lost their wickets after a promising start as India went three wickets down in the powerplay.
Samson and Parag staged India's fightback with mature and sensible cricket in the middle overs. The Rajasthan Royals' duo added 65 runs for the fourth wicket with Samson smashing his second T20I fifty in 39 balls and top-scoring with 58 runs off 45 balls.
Dube displayed his finishing skills by smashing 26 runs off just 12 balls as India posted a challenging total of 167/6 in 20 overs. Blessing Muzarabani took two wickets for 19 for Zimbabwe as the rest struggled to bowl economical spells.
The returning Mukesh Kumar dismissed Wesley Madhevere in the first over and stunned the home crowd with Brian Bennett's wicket in the third over. Zimbabwe were quick to make a comeback with Dion Myers and Tadiwanashe Marumani adding 39 runs for the third wicket.
In-form Washington Sundar gave India a breakthrough with Marumani's wicket in the ninth over and then Indian bowlers totally dominated the game. Faraz Akram smashed 27 runs off just 13 balls but didn't get much help from his teammates.
Mukesh Kumar made a late impact with two back-to-back wickets to bowl out Zimbabwe to 125 in 18.3 overs. Dube claimed the Player of the Match award for his quick 26 runs and two big wickets while Sundar clinched the Player of the Series award for taking eight wickets in five innings at an economy rate of 5.16.
India Playing XI: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Kumar.
Zimbabwe Playing XI: Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Johnathan Campbell, Faraz Akram, Clive Madande (wk), Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.
