Harare, June 18: In a major upset, Zimbabwe pipped India by two runs to win the first T20 International at the Harare Sports Club here on Saturday (June 18).
Chasing 171, India could only manage 168 as the visiting batsmen came under pressure for the very first time during the tour. Manish Pandey top-scored for the men-in-blue with 48 runs while Mandeep Singh contributed with 31.
Earlier, former skipper Elton Chigumbura's unbeaten 26-ball 55 took the hosts to a commanding 170/6 after being sent into bat by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Chigumbura blasted seven massive sixes and a four during his unbeaten 26-ball 55, which saw India leaking 59 runs in the last five overs. The right-hander's eighth-wicket stand with Neville Madziva yielded 40 runs as the Indians were searching for cover.
Five new cricketers are going to make their debut for Team India in first T20I.
Earlier, the hosts got off to a brisk start after being sent into bat, with openers Hamliton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha putting on 33 runs as the former skipper blasted a 15-ball 25, including two consecutive sixes off medium pacer Jaydev Unadkat to lay the platform.
But the onslaught was soon controlled by young medium pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who packed back Masakadza with a slower off-cutter. Wicketkeeper-batsman Richmond Mutumbami, who came in next, retired after hurting himself while Chibhabha soon joined him at the dug out after scoring a 19-ball 20.
#TeamIndia have won the toss and elected to field first #1stT20I #ZimvInd pic.twitter.com/axhsDGZM7X
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 18, 2016
Next in Sikandar Raza and Malcolm Waller added 47 runs for the fourth wicket to take the hosts near the 100-run mark before Waller was castled by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's googly for a 21-ball 30, which included four hits to the fence.
With that wicket, Zimbabwe once again lost the track as Raza (20) ran himself out while left-arm spinner Axar Patel accounted for Tinotenda Mutombodzi (3). Skipper Graeme Cremer (4) also perished cheaply but was Chigumbura's late order heroics saved the hosts from another humiliation.
Faced with the sudden onslaught, the Indian bowlers looked helpless as medium pacers Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan leaked 43 and 42 runs respectively.
Bumrah was the most successful bowler with two wickets while Dhawan, Patel and Chahal chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Playing XI:
India: MS Dhoni (C), KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Axar Patel, Rishi Dhawan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Zimbabwe: Graeme Cremer (C), Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Sikandar Raza, Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Neville Madziva, Taurai Muzarabani and Donald Tiripano.
Match Starts at 4:30 PM;
Channels: Ten 1HD, Ten 2, Ten 3
IANS/ OneIndia News