Il Nuovo Postiglione - India crush Zimbabwe to wrap up T20 series win

Chasing Zimbabwe’s 152 for seven, India cruised him with 28 balls to spare to take a 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

The left-handed Jaiswal hammered 93 not out off 53 balls and was named player of the match while Gill made 58 not out off 39 deliveries.

"Chasing was something we talked about," Gill said at the post-match presentation. “We couldn’t do it in the first game so it was good to get it done."

Zimbabwe won the first match by 13 runs last Saturday but India have taken charge since then, dominating the next three matches.

Although captain Sikandar Raza hit 46 off 28 balls, Zimbabwe were unable to capitalise fully on their first good start of the series.

Wessly Madhevere (25) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (32) put on 63 for the first wicket after Zimbabwe were sent in to bat. But the openers fell in successive overs to part-time bowlers Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube.

India again opted to field only four specialist bowlers, including new cap Tushar Despande, who claimed the wicket of Raza while conceding 30 runs in three overs.

Raza said he had thought after his team’s innings that 160 was a par score but admitted: “The way they batted, 180 would not have been enough.”

Jaiswal set the tone in the first over of India’s innings, hitting three boundaries off Richard Ngarava.

There was no let-up as India’s fifty was posted inside four overs and the hundred inside 10 overs.

Jaiswal hit 13 fours and two sixes, while Gill hit six fours and two sixes.

The series wraps up with the fifth T20 in Harare on Sunday.

M.Dodaro--INP