New Delhi: MS Dhoni-led India defeated Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in the 2nd ODI at the Harare Sports Club to clinch the ongoing series 2-0.


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Over 26.5 | Score 129/2 | (Rayudu 41*, Pandey 4*)


Nair and Rayudu looked all set to take India home before the former was trapped in front of the wicket by Raza. With two needed for victory, new batsman Manish Pandey drove the first ball he faced through covers for the winning runs! That's it! India have won the series 2-0 with one match remaining.


KK Nair lbw b Sikandar Raza 39 (68b)


Over 20 | Score 83/1 | (Nair 26*, Rayudu 15*)


After Rahul's dismissal, Nair and Rayudu are in the process of stitching another decent stand for the Men in Blue. These two have added 25 runs for the second wicket and the Zimbabwe bowlers look in no sort of rhythm whatsoever.


Over 15 | Score 58/1 | (Nair 22*, Rayudu 0*)


Post lunch, Nair and Rahul resumed the innings from where they had left. They were looking good before Rahul was bowled by Chibhabha. The wicket also ended the opening wicket stand of 58 runs. Ambati Rayudu is the new man in.


KL Rahul b Chibhabha 33 (50b)


Over 10 | Score 42/0 | (Rahul 12*, Nair 18*)


These two are determined to lay a formidable stand for the opening wicket. Zimbabwe bowlers are not creating too many opportunities and with one bowler less (Sean Williams is injured), they will have to work really hard once again.


Over 5 | Score 28/0 | (Rahul 11*, Nair 15*)


Chasing the paltry total, Indian openers Lokesh Rahul and Karun Nair opened the innings in style as they have added unbeaten 28 runs in the first overs. While Rahul scored a magnificent ton on his ODI debut, Nair would be keen to make today's match count by hitting a formidable knock.


Over 34.3 | Score 126/9 | (Cremer 7*)


Axar Patel picked the final wicket of the innings as Muzarabani was trapped in front of the wicket. With one player injured, India need to win 127 runs to seal the series.


T Muzarabani lbw b Patel 5 (10b)


Over 30 | Score 115/8 | (Mutumbami 2*, Cremer 1*)


Bumrah and Kulkarni struck in consecutive overs and dismissed Mutumbami and Chatara. The hosts are wobbling now. They scored 168 runs in the previous match and they are now staring at a much lower than that with 20 overs remaining.


TL Chatara b Kulkarni 2 (6b)


R Mutumbami c Dhoni b Bumrah 2 (14b)


Over 30 | Score 111/6 | (Mutumbami 2*, Cremer 1*)


A flurry of wickets possibly hampered Sibanda's concentration as he charged down against Chahal in the 28th over and perished as the ball landed in Kedar Jadhav's hands at long-on. There was no need for that shot from Sibanda, who had been batting so well and was Zimbabwe's last hope of reaching a respectable total.


V Sibanda c Jadhav b Chahal 53 (69b)


Over 26 | Score 106/5 | (Sibanda 52*, Mutumbami 0*)


Sibanda resurrected the innings and slammed a fifty under precarious circumstances. The crowd loved the shot which brought Sibanda's fifty, however, the celebrations didn't last long as Chahal silenced them all by dismissing Raza and new batsman Chigumbura off consecutive balls. Extra pressure on Sibanda to bat till the end now.


E Chigumbura lbw b Chahal 0 (1b)


Sikandar Raza c Jadhav b Chahal 16 (41b)


Over 20 | Score 87/3 | (Sibanda 36*, Raza 13*)


This is proving to be an excellent partnership for Zimbabwe. Sibanda has played some superb strokes and has also taken the onus to do the most of the scoring. He has been very well supported by Raza from the other end and the duo has added 48 runs for the fourth wicket. The hosts need them to keep batting, at least for another 8-10 overs.


Over 15 | Score 61/3 | (Sibanda 22*, Raza 2*)


Sibanda is holding the innings from one end. He hit Bumrah for two boundaries in the 15th over. Raza is trying to support him well from the other end. These two have added 22 runs for the fourth-wicket partnership so far.


Over 10 | Score 39/3 | (Sibanda 4*)


Sran struck again as he nipped one back into Moor who was dismissed lbw. Replays suggested that the bounce would have taken ball above the stumps. Kulkarni took picked his first wicket of the match as he trapped Chibhabha in the 10th over of the innings.


CJ Chibhabha lbw b Kulkarni 21 (26b)


PJ Moor lbw b Sran 1 (9b)


Over 5 | Score 20/1 | (Chibhabha 4, Moor 1*)


Sran struck early as he offered width to Masakadza from round the stumps. Tempted to go for the shot, the right-hander went hard after it, got a top edge which went straight towards Bumrah at third man. Peter Moor is the new man in.


H Masakadza c Bumrah b Sran 9 (17b)


Over 2 | Score 4/0 | (Masakadza 0*, Chibhabha 4)


After nine dot balls, Chibhabha got one on the pads by Dhawal Kulkarni and he flicked it past the diving fielder at mid-on for a boundary. Quiet start for the hosts so far. Considering the way they collapsed in the previous game, the strategy would be not to lose wickets early in the innings.


Playing XIs of both teams:


Zimbabwe: PJ Moor, CJ Chibhabha, H Masakadza, SC Williams, V Sibanda, Sikandar Raza, E Chigumbura, R Mutumbami (wk), AG Cremer (c), TL Chatara, T Muzarabani


India: KL Rahul, MK Pandey, KK Nair, AT Rayudu, KM Jadhav, MS Dhoni (c & wk), AR Patel, DS Kulkarni, JJ Bumrah, BB Sran, YS Chahal


TOSS: MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bowl first. The Men in Blue are playing with the same eleven.


The weather isn't great at the moment in Harare as a result of which the toss has been delayed by 10 minutes.



MS Dhoni would be extremely proud of the way his young team crushed Zimbabwe in the first ODI.


Batting first, Zimbabwe batsmen managed to put just 168 runs on board. Indian seamers did an exceptional job as Dhawal Kulkarni, Barinder Sran and Jasprit Bumrah shared eight wickets between themselves.


Elton Chigumbura showed some resistance lower down the order with a 41-run knock.


Much to the delight of the local fans, Zimbabwe struck early as they removed Karun Nair (7) in the fifth over of the innings.


But the celebrations didn't last for long as Lokesh Rahul (100*) and Ambati Rayudu (62*) stitched a massive unbeaten 162-run stand for the second-wicket partnership.