India vs Zimbabwe, 2nd ODI at Harare as it happened: Visitors clinch series with 8-wicket win!

Yuzvendra Chahal is the Man of the Match for his figures of 6-2-25-3!

In the end, it turns out to be another one-sided game for India, and as expected, they manage to clinch the series with one game to go. At 106/3. Zimbabwe looked like they could have setup a competitive total in the range of 230. However, the thing that separates the struggling sides from the top dogs is the temperament and the ability to get partnerships, and that is where the hosts failed miserably after they lost their fourth wicket.

After 27 overs,India 129/2 ( Ambati Rayudu 41 , Manish Pandey 4)

The Zimbabweans seem to be exhibiting a rather negative body language at the moment. Rayudu hammers a couple of boundaries to start things off in the 22nd over, with the 100 coming up for the visitors in the same over. In the end, the chase is reduced to a race between Nair and Rayudu to get to their respective half-centuries. The former is trapped lbw by Raza in the fourth ball of the 26th over, before Manish Pandey finishes things off with a boundary through the covers off the first ball that he faces to end the game!

OUT! Looks like India will not romp to a nine-wicket win in this game afterall! One last hurrah for Zimbabwe before their imminent defeat, as Raza manages to trap Nair lbw for 39, with India needing another two to win from 140 balls with eight wickets in hand.

Most ODI runs for India after first 2 games
148 Navjot Singh Sidhu
133 KL Rahul#ZIMvIND

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) June 13, 2016

After 20 overs,India 83/1 ( Karun Nair 26 , Ambati Rayudu 15)

KL Rahul brings up the fifty stand with Nair with a couple of runs shortly after the resumption of play after lunch. The hero from the first game however, is dismissed for 33 as he drags a short delivery from Chibhabha onto his stumps, with India losing their first wicket with 58 on board. Rayudu however, gets off the mark with consecutive boundaries, with authority stamped in his shots. Chigumbura concedes five runs in the 20th over for India to cross the 80-run mark. India need 44 to win from 30 overs.

BOWLED ‘EM! Short ball outside off from Chibhabha, and Rahul drags the ball onto his stumps with a thick inside edge while looking to punch it through the covers! Zimbabwe finally get a breakthrough, ending the 58-run opening stand, as the centurion from the first game gets dismissed for 33.

Fifty partnership completed between KL Rahul and Karun Nair, with the former going for a double in the fourth ball after the resumption of play following lunch. The two look set at the moment, and the game’s pretty much over for the Zimbabweans, unless they can get a couple of quick wickets at this stage.

Another low for the Zims in today’s game. 

Most ducks for Zimbabwe in ODIs
18 G Flower
16 Taibu, Utseya
15 Masakadza, CHIGUMBURA#ZimvInd

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) June 13, 2016

Can’t really blame the disappointed Zimbabwean fans here.

After 13 overs,India 48/0 ( Lokesh Rahul 25 , Karun Nair 21)

KL Rahul is dropped on 22 after pushing a short delivery towards extra-cover, where Raza puts down a difficult chance after diving forward. Luck currently seems to be in full support of the Indians, who manage to amble to 48/0 at the end of the 13th over, needing another 79 to win from 37 overs at a paltry required rate of a little over two.

After 10 overs,India 42/0 ( Lokesh Rahul 22 , Karun Nair 18)

Muzarabani gets another maiden in the sixth over. Rahul, meanwhile, continues to hammer boundaries, getting two of them in the eighth, executing a drive and a cut. The duo are heading towards a fifty opening stand at the moment, and it won’t come as a surprise to anyone if the duo go on to finish the chase by themselves. India need 85 to win from 240 balls.

After 5 overs,India 28/0 ( Lokesh Rahul 11 , Karun Nair 15)

Much like their opponents, India start off with a maiden over. Rahul continues to hit the ball well, as he gets the first boundary of the innings in the very next over. Nair hits a boundary in the fifth over, before getting caught behind off a poor shot in the fourth ball of the over. Just as he is preparing for the long walk back to the pavilion, Nair is asked to wait by the umpire as the delivery is being checked for the no-ball. The Indian prayers are answered as Chatara’s foot is visibly outside the popping crease, giving Nair a lucky break. The Rajastan Royals batsman hammers the free-hit delivery over the umpire’s head, as India reach 28/0 after the first five overs. India need 99 to win from 270 balls.

Karun Nair survives but that's twice now he has got out to length balls outside the off. #ZimvInd #INDvsZIM

— Suneer (@suneerchowdhary) June 13, 2016

KL Rahul and Karun Nair are out to open the innings for India. After yet another impressive bowling display from the Indian bowlers, the Indian batsman just have 127 runs to chase down.

Zimbabwe were cruising at 106/3 at one stage, with Vusi Sibanda and Sikandar Razar going about their business with certain authority. It was two dismissals off successive deliveries by Chahal turned things around spectacularly, as they went on to lose their next seven wickets for just 20 runs. Should be a piece of cake for the Indian batsmen.

After 34.3 overs,Zimbabwe 126 ( Graeme Cremer (C) 6)

With the dangermen out, the Indian pacers make merry as Bumrah and Kulkarni remove Mutumbami and Chatara off successive overs to reduce Zimbabwe to 115/8. Tail-ender Taurai Muzarabani shows some resiliance, going for a fine front-foot drive off Bumrah, with skipper Cremer too blocking most of the deliveries. Zimbabwe lose their ninth wicket with 126 on board, and the hosts’ innings comes to an endas Sean Williams doesn’t turn up the hosts.

BOWLED ‘EM! Superb delivery by Kulkarni, with the ball seaming away from the batsman after pitching along middle. Chatara misses the line of the delivery, as the ball kisses the off-stump to knock the bails off. Zimbabwe collapse to 115/8, and their innings is perhaps just a dismissal away from reaching it’s end now, unless Sean Williams is fit enough to bat.

OUT! Length ball pitched outside off, the ball angles in sharply into the batsman, and manages to get a faint inside edge off Richmond Mutumbami’s bat. The Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman departs for 2, shaking his head on his way back to the pavilion, as Zimbabwe lose their seventh wicket with 112 on board

After 30 overs,Zimbabwe 111/6 ( Richmond Mutumbami (W) 2 , Graeme Cremer (C) 1)

After getting rid of Raza and Chigumbura off successive deliveries, Chahal manages to remove Vusi Sibanda in his next over, with the latter departing for 53 as Zimbabwe suddenly are reduced to 107/6. Meanwhile, reports of Sean Williams hurting his finger are doing the rounds at the moment, and it looks like Zimbabwe may have to settle for one less batsman today, which only makes their situation worse. Dhawal Kulkarni is introduced in the 30th over, with Dhoni looking to clean up the Zimbabwean tail with the pacers.

OUT! Third strike for Chahal, and he gets the big fish this time! Sibanda goes for a wild slog, and gets a bottom-edge to send the ball into the orbit, before it ultimately lands in the palms of Kedar Jadhav near the long-on boundary. He departs for 53 off 69, as Zimbabwe collapse to 107/6 from 106/3.

After 26 overs,Zimbabwe 106/5 ( Vusi Sibanda 52 , Richmond Mutumbami (W) 0)

Sibanda and Raza bring up the 50-stand in the 21st over with a couple. Meanwhile, Sibanda continues to hammer boundaries with free will, as he is beginning to eye his 21st ODI fifty. He brings up the milestone with a boundary on the backfoot towards wide long-on, as Zimbabwe have made a good comeback after losing a couple of early wickets. The next over however, turns things around spectacularly, as Chahal breaks the 67-run fourth wicket stand by getting rid of Raza, before trapping Chigumbura lbw off the very first ball to put India back in firm control, getting a double-wicket maiden in the 26th over!

OUT! Elton Chigumbura, Zimbabwe’s top-scorer from the previous game, is out first ball! Looks to defend, but misses the line of the delivery, that turns towards the batsman’s front pad after being pitched between middle and leg. Chahal is suddenly on a hat-trick, as Chahal makes a terrific comeback after going for runs in his first few overs.

OUT! Chahal finally gets the breakthrough, bringing an end to the 67-run fourth-wicket stand! Raza looks to clear long-on with a smash off a pitched-up delivery, but doesn’t get enough power on the shot, resulting in an easy catch for Jadhav near the boundary! Raza departs for 16 off 41, as Zimbabwe lose their fourth wicket with 106 on board.

After 20 overs,Zimbabwe 87/3 ( Vusi Sibanda 36 , Sikandar Raza 13)

The pair of Sibanda and Raza start to get increasingly settled at the centre, and are getting the runs along at a more accelerated pace at the moment. Sibanda hammers the first six by a Zimbabwean batsman in the series so far, hammering Chahal over long-on! Raza gets his first boundary of the innings with a back-foot punch through the covers off Bumrah. The two have nearly brought up the fifty stand, and theri presence at the crease will be crucial for Zimbabwe to eye a total in excess of 250.

After 15 overs,Zimbabwe 61/3 ( Vusi Sibanda 22 , Sikandar Raza 2)

Sikandar Raza is out to bat, and the talented Pakistan-born batsman will look to rebuild the Zimbabwe innings after the loss of three early wickets. Sibanda gets his first boundary of the day with a pull off a short ball from Sran. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah is introduced into the attack for the first time in the 13th over, conceding just one off it. The young speedster took four wicket for just 28 runs to star with the ball in the previous game, and will certainly look to continue his raging form in the second game as well. Sibanda however, hammers two boundaries off his second over with some impeccable timing! 11 scored off the 15th over, the best over in the innings so far.

Sibanda has played two disdainful shots for fours to the on-side already. The word, fearless, comes to mind. #ZimvInd #IndvsZim

— Suneer (@suneerchowdhary) June 13, 2016

After 10 overs,Zimbabwe 39/3 ( Vusi Sibanda 4 , )

Another maiden in the early stages of the Zimbabwe innings, with Kulkarni getting on in the sixth over. Moor, meanwhile, is trapped leg-before in the seventh over, as Sran gets his second wicket. The ball angles into the batsman and hits him on the back pad. However, hawk-eye begs to differ from the umpire, and predicts the ball to be missing the stumps. Unfortunate dismissal for Moor, especially when there’s no DRS around due to BCCI’s opposition to it. Meanwhile, the bowlers are getting a plenty of swing in the OUT! Chibhabha departs for 21 after getting trapped lbw by a straight delivery, with joining Sran in the wicket-taking list now.

OUT! And it is Sran at business again! This time he manages to trap Moor lbw for just 1 with an inswinging delivery, which hits him on the back pad. Replays however, show that the ball was going well over the stumps, and that the decision was unfair. Then again, it’s India, and there’s no chance of DRS being used in the game at all. Zimbabwe lose their 2nd wicket with 21 on board.

After 5 overs,Zimbabwe 20/1 ( Chamu Chibhabha 8 , Peter Moor 1)

Masakadza and Chibhabha walk out to bat, with Barinder Sran starting things off with a maiden over. Zimbabwe get their first runs on the board in the chilly morning with a boundary off Chibhabha’s bat in the second over, bowled by Kulkarni. Masakadza gets his first boundary of the day with an exquisite drive through the covers, before getting dismissed in the following over after slicing a full delivery outside off towards third man, where Bumrah takes the simplest of catches for Zimbabwe’s veteran batsman to depart for 9. Zimbabwe lose their first wicket with 19 on board.

Indian team unchanged for this game, while Zimbabwe replace Craig Ervine with Sean Williams. 

India XI: KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (c, wk), Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Zimbabwe XI: Hamilton Masakadza, Chamu Chibhabha, Peter Moor, Sean Williams, Vusi Sibanda, Sikandar Raza, Elton Chigumbura, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Graeme Cremer (c), Tendai Chatara, Taurai Muzurabani.

Indian team unchanged for this game, while Zimbabwe replace Craig Ervine with Sean Williams. 

India XI: KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (c, wk), Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Zimbabwe XI: Hamilton Masakadza, Chamu Chibhabha, Peter Moor, Sean Williams, Vusi Sibanda, Sikandar Raza, Elton Chigumbura, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Graeme Cremer (c), Tendai Chatara, Taurai Muzurabani.

India win the toss, and elect to field first.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the 2nd one-day international between India and Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club in Harare. Stay tuned for further updates of the game