Shubman Gill, the captain of India, praised their “remarkable” team effort on a two-paced wicket as they emerged victorious over Zimbabwe by 23 runs in the third T20I, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series in Harare on Wednesday. Gill, the stylish Indian opener, scored a brilliant 66 off 49 balls to lead them to 182 for four before the bowlers restricted the hosts to 159 for six. This win marked India’s second consecutive victory after bouncing back from their initial defeat in the first match.
“It was a crucial match for us, and the performance we put up with both bat and ball was remarkable,” Gill stated during the post-match presentation.
India made a strong comeback in the second T20I, posting a massive total of 234 for 2.
When asked about not reaching the 200-run mark in the third T20, Gill mentioned, “The wicket was a bit unpredictable, with some balls gripping and making it challenging to score off length deliveries.”
“We stuck to hitting the right lengths with the ball as well. Knowing that there was something in the wicket, we wanted to capitalize on that for our bowlers’ benefit. Everyone contributed, from the opening batsmen to the bowlers.” Washington Sundar, who was named the Player of the Match, expressed satisfaction with his execution, claiming figures of three for 15 in four overs.
“It feels amazing, honestly. Every time I represent the country, it’s a great feeling. The pitch was better today, providing more assistance to the bowlers compared to the first two games.”
“Zimbabwe’s batters applied pressure, especially Myers and Madande. We aimed to stick to our plans and execute them well. Our goal is to wrap up the series on Saturday.” Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza lamented the fielding errors.
“Once again, it was our fielding that let us down. We take pride in our fielding, but today we gave away 20 extra runs, and that cost us the game by 23 runs,” he remarked.
Although Zimbabwe faced a tough start at 19 for 3 in the 4th over, Dion Myers’ unbeaten 65 off 49 deliveries provided hope for the hosts.
“We continue to face challenges at the top, but I have faith in our players that they will come good eventually. We’ve tried various opening partnerships in the past year, and it’s time for us, including myself, to take responsibility,” Raza added.
“You can’t solve a problem by creating another problem. We have selected three openers for a reason. The chosen openers deserve a fair run.” Raza also praised Blessing Muzarabani, who claimed 2/25.
“We need to stop singling him out because he has been exceptional. Sometimes the rewards may not be immediate, but they will eventually come.” India is scheduled to face Zimbabwe in the fourth T20I on Saturday.
(This story has been published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff except for the headline.)
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