Jonathan campbell

Harare Sports Club: Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi picked career-best T20I figures of 4-13 as India restricted Zimbabwe to a modest 115/9 in the T20I series opener at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday. Bishnoi sliced through Zimbabwe’s majorly inexperienced batting line-up with his deceptive googlies in the middle overs to pick a four-wicket haul. Washington Sundar was hard to hit too in picking 2-11, while Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan had a scalp apiece.

It took a useful 29 not out from Clive Madande for Zimbabwe to reach at least a respectable total after being inserted into batting first by India. Mukesh got India the first breakthrough as Innocent Kaia didn’t account for the swing on a fuller ball and saw his leg stump being uprooted for a golden duck in the second over.

Brian Bennett got going with two fours off Mukesh, followed by him and Wesley Madhevere taking two boundaries each off an erring Khaleel Ahmed in the fifth over, which went for 17 runs. Bennett, dropped on 18 by Avesh off Khaleel, was dismissed for 23 when he looked to drive a Bishnoi googly, but the ball struck off-stump and bail fell in the last over of power-play.