Yashasvi Jaiswal‘s flair was complemented by skipper Shubman Gill‘s poise as young Indian team cantered to a 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the fourth T20 International, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. This is the second time that India beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets after a similar-margin win at the same venue in 2016. Jaiswal and Gill’s approach was in complete contrast as the Mumbai southpaw went hammer and tongs during his unbeaten 93-run knock while the skipper (58 not out) was ready to play the second fiddle in a chase of 153 which was completed in 15.2 overs.

The target was made to look way easier than it should have been on a track that had good bounce and carry.

Jaiswal, who had to sit out during the T20 World Cup campaign hardly looked rusty, playing shots all around the wicket.

The thumping bowler’s back-drive off rival skipper Sikandar Raza was delightful and equally stylish was the pick-up pull off Richard Ngarava for a six.

The lack of pace in Zimbabwean attack on a good wicket became home team’s undoing as the dominant Jaiswal had reached his half-century with nine boundaries when the skipper was yet to reach 15.

There was no way that Zimbabwe could have stopped the run-feast as towards the end, the bigger interest was whether the two flag bearers of Indian batting into the next decade could reach their individual milestones of half-century and century.

It was Gill, who got his fifty and that didn’t leave Jaiswal with enough runs to complete his hundred.

Earlier India’s part-time bowlers Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma performed commendably in the middle overs to restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable 152 for seven after being put into bat by Gill.

Raza smashed 46 off 28 balls but India’s fifth bowler Abhishek (1/20 in 3 overs) and sixth option Dube (1/11 in 2 overs) produced a decent effort to keep the proceedings under control.

They removed the dangerous-looking opening duo of Wesley Madhevere (25 off 24 balls) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (32 off 31 balls) to put brakes in the middle overs.

However Raza with three sixes and two fours was the reason that Zimbabwe reached 150-plus target with almost all the Indian bowlers, save leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, entering their names in the wickets column. Medium fast bowler Tushar Deshpande (1/30 in 3 overs) was handed a debut cap but in his first spell he flattered to deceive, either pitching it too full or bowling too short.

More often than not he drifted on the pads allowing both openers Madhevere and Marumani to pick up easy boundaries.

Deshpande would feel good that he could get rid of Raza with a slower delivery in the slog overs to prevent Zimbabwe from surpassing 170 which would have been par on this track.

Zimbabwe’s best opening stand for the series in the first three games was 9 but Madhevere and Marumani added 63 in a solid stand even if it was not exactly spectacular.

However once the opening stand was broken by left-arm spinner Abhishek, who forced Marumani to mistime a pull-shot into Rinku Singh‘s hands, Zimbabwe couldn’t press home advantage they had gained.

Madhevere was accounted for by Dube as he couldn’t get the required elevation and distance to a short ball. Rinku at deep mid-wicket completed formality.

Brian Bennett (9 off 14 balls), who was brilliant with the bat in the second game failed to get going before Washington sent him back. This was after Dube and Abhishek bowled wicket to wicket and kept a check on scoring.

After his 23-run loss against India in the third T20I match of the series on Wednesday, Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza said that they gave away 20 runs extra in the first inning which cost them a match. Raza picked up two wickets and gave 24 runs in his four-over spell in the first inning. Meanwhile, He 15-run knock from 16 balls and smashed 3 fours in the second inning. Speaking after the match, Raza said that he is proud of his side’s fielding. He accepted that they still have problems at the top order but will bounce back in the upcoming matches.

“I think it’s the fielding again, we are proud of our fielding but the wheels came off today, we gave away 20 extra runs and we lost by 23 runs. We still have problems at the top but I have utmost faith in them that they will come good some time. We have tried 15 different partners (openers) in the last year and a half or so,” Raza said.

He added that the senior players need to step up and cannot afford to make mistakes in a match.

“There is a lot of cricket going on in the country and club cricket has revived. It’s time that our players including myself take up the responsibility. The youngsters making mistakes is acceptable but the senior players need to step up. You cannot fix a problem by creating another problem, we have picked 3 openers for a reason. The openers that have been picked up should be given a run. (On Muzarabani) He has been outstanding, sometimes the rewards don’t come but in the long run the rewards do come,” he added.

Recapping the match, India opted to bat first. A fine 67-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal (36 in 27 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and skipper Shubman kickstarted things for India. Later Shubman (66 in 49 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) had a 72-run partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad (49 in 28 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes). India scored 182/4 in their 20 overs.

Blessing Muzarbani (2/25) and Sikandar Raza (2/24) were the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe.

In the run-chase of 183 runs, India had Zimbabwe struggling at 39/5. Later, a 77-run partnership between Dion Myers (65* in 49 balls, with seven fours and a six) and Clive Madande (37 in 26 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave Zimbabwe’s innings a new lease of life. However, Indian bowlers bounced back on time to keep Zimbabwe at 159/6 at the end of their 20 overs.

Washington Sundar (3/15) and Avesh Khan (2/39) were the top bowlers for India. Khaleel Ahmed also got a wicket each.

Indian cricket team during second T20I vs Zimbabwe in Harare.© AFP

Experienced batter Sikandar Raza was on Monday named as captain of a young Zimbabwe team for the five-match T20I series against world champions India, which begins in Harare from July 6. The African side has also named Belgium-born Antum Naqvi in the squad but his final inclusion is subject to the confirmation of his citizenship status, Zimbabwe Cricket said in a release. Naqvi was born to Pakistani parents in Brussels, Belgium, before moving to Australia, but he was considered for selection after he declared his desire to represent Zimbabwe in international cricket and applied for naturalisation.

Aiming to rebuild under new head coach Justin Sammons after failing to qualify for the just-concluded T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe have picked a young squad under Raza.

The 38-year-old right-hander, who has 86 matches under his belt, is the team’s most experienced player, followed by 29-year-old Luke Jongwe who has featured in 63 games.

The other seasoned campaigners in the side are pace bowlers Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani, with 52 and 51 T20I appearances respectively.

Veterans Craig Ervine and Sean Williams were not considered for selection, while Ryan Burl, Joylord Gumbie and Ainsley Ndlovu also failed to make the cut.

Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza (captain), Akram Faraz, Bennett Brian, Campbell Johnathan, Chatara Tendai, Jongwe Luke, Kaia Innocent, Madande Clive, Madhevere Wessly, Marumani Tadiwanashe, Masakadza Wellington, Mavuta Brandon, Muzarabani Blessing, Myers Dion, Naqvi Antum, Ngarava Richard, Shumba Milton.