Team India beat Zimbabwe by 35 runs in the third T20I at Harare Sports Club in Harare to complete a 3-0 whitewash. Shreyas Iyer won the toss for India and chose to bat first in the dead rubber.
India started on a shaky note, with Abhishek Sharma perishing early. Ishan Kishan walked out next but found it tough to get going. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 29 runs off 26 balls.
However, Vaibhav Suryavanshi put India in a commanding position with a mature knock. The 15-year-old looked destined for his maiden international ton, but ultimately fell short. The opener’s 81 off 49 balls powered the Men in Blue to 192/5 in 20 overs.
Brad Evans picked up two wickets, while Sikandar Raza, Blessing Muzarabani, and Wessly Madhevere took one wicket each. The hosts struggled to keep up with the required run rate in the chase, finishing 157/7 in 20 overs.
Ryan Burl was the top scorer for Zimbabwe with an unbeaten 54 off 43 deliveries. Mayank Yadav was the pick of the bowlers, bagging an impressive three-wicket haul. Suryavanshi took home the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series awards for his batting exploits.
Here, we look at three moments from the third T20I that generated a buzz among the fans.
#3 Brad Evans takes a terrific catch to cut short Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s stunning knock
Vaibhav Suryavanshi entertained fans with his stroke play. The teenage batting sensation smashed four maximums and eight fours during his stay at the crease. However, a sensational effort from Brad Evans shattered the youngster’s hopes of his first T20I ton.
The hard-hitting opener stepped out of his crease, looking to clear the long-off fence against a flighted delivery from off-spinner Wessly Madhevere in the 15th over. He failed to get enough distance.
Evans ran forward and took a spectacular diving catch to provide his side with a massive breakthrough. Watch the video here:
#2 India vice-captain Tilak Varma outsmarts Blessing Muzarabani with clever reverse sweep
Tilak Varma played a few innovative shots throughout the three-match series. He brought another such stroke out of his arsenal to counter Blessing Muzarabani in the 17th over.
The southpaw switched his stance and played a crafty reverse sweep to send a back-of-length ball from the fast bowler to the third-man boundary for a four. Watch the video here:
#1 Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes massive 102-meter six
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s four sixes included a 102-meter maximum. Bowling from around the wicket, Sikandar Raza bowled a length ball on the stumps in the 13th over.
The swashbuckling batter came down the track and lofted it over the long-off boundary for a half-dozen. He did not overhit the ball and just relied on his timing. Despite that, the ball ended up traveling 102 meters.
Watch the video here:
Edited by Aditya Suketu Desai