India are touring Zimbabwe after six years but cared very little about the host’s hospitality as they thrashed them in the opening ODI by 10 wickets. After winning the toss and bowling first in a rare morning start, it took India a little more than 30 minutes to draw first blood. But when they did, there was no stopping them as they picked regular wickets to bundle out Zimbabwe for 189. In reply, the Indian openers didn’t face any threat as they motored their way towards the target without losing a wicket. We look back at some of the moments and stats from the 1st ODI.
Deepak Chahar swinging his way back to form
Playing his first international match since February 2022, Deepak Chahar stormed back into the game with a Player-of-the-Match performance. The standout aspect about Chahar was his swing – something that he is renowned for.
Chahar took a bit of time to settle into his rhythm. It took him almost four overs to get his first wicket but after that, he was on a roll. The key to his swing bowling was his line. He kept a majority of his balls on and around the fourth stump, which helped him test the inside and the outside edges of the batters. Chahar bowled unchanged for seven overs to register his career-best figures in ODI.
Zimbabwe’s tail adds some respectability
At one point, Zimbabwe were in tatters, losing eight wickets and just 110 runs on board. It looked like India might finish the game before the scheduled break. But Zimbabwe’s tail-enders had different plans.
Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava combined to register their personal best ODI scores, scoring 33* and 34, respectively. Together, they became just the second Zimbabwe pair to forge a 50-run partnership for the 9th wicket against India. Their 70 runs partnership was the highest 9th wicket partnership for Zimbabwe against India.
Gill filling in the opening spot
Shubman Gill has had a fabulous start to his ODI career opening the batting. This match was another example of how comfortable he looks in this role. His unbeaten 82 runs came at a strike rate of 113.88, and he was in control of 87% of his 72 balls. Gill now averages more than 100 runs opening the batting for India in ODIs.
The 1st ODI was a completely one-sided affair as Zimbabwe were outplayed in all the departments. They do not have a lot of time to reflect as the two teams meet again on the 20th. Despite fielding a second-string team, India seem too strong for Zimbabwe.