Today at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in India, in a high-stakes match, the Indian cricket team showed off a batting masterclass in Game 48 of the T20 World Cup, when they beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs. in Chennai, India's juggernaut team took apart the Zimbabwean bowling attack to post one of the highest totals in the tournament's history.
India's Batting Blitz: A 256 All Time High
India’s openers embarked on a frenzied pace after being asked to bat first. Abhishek Sharma was ahead with a scorching 55, and Sanju Samson managed to keep the pace at 24. The speed of the action was carried on by the middle order, Ishan Kishan (38) and Suryakumar Yadav (33) maintaining the pace.
Nevertheless, this evening's highlight was finishing touches. Hardik Pandya smashed an unbeaten 50* while Tilak Varma remained not out on 44*. And the two together propelled India to a mammoth 256 runs.
- History Made: It is now the second highest score in T20 World Cup history.
- Zimbabwe’s Battle: Despite the barrage, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Tinotenda Maposa and Sikandar Raza picked up a wicket apiece.
The Chase: Bennett’s Heroics in Vain
Chasing a 257 target was going to be a mountain climb for Zimbabwe. Brian Bennett hit his career-altering thump on the innings with promise. His teammate Tadiwanashe Marumani added 20 and the captain Sikandar Raza added 31; Bennett was the lone one who remained a fighting hero. Bennett completed a staggering 97 off 59 deliveries* which left him just three runs short of turning a century. Sadly, without backing from the other end a duck for Ryan Burl, among them Zimbabwe’s chase turned lethargic at 184.
Bowling Brilliance and Looking Ahead to the Tournament
India’s bowling department added just right to the batters. Arshdeep Singh was the winner of the bowlers with two key wickets, along with the spin pair Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel stifling the order of players with a wicket each. With this 72-run win, India takes two crucial points and keeps their hopes of landing in the knockout stages alive.
