Amit Mishra
India defeated Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in the final ODI at Bulawayo to complete a 5-0 whitewash over the minnows. It was another dreadful batting display from the hosts who went into this final match with quite a lot of changes. All the hosts could do was to score 163 after being bowled out in 39.5 overs. Virat Kohli’s team showed no respite on the minnows by inserting them to bat first after losing the toss on a pitch that was conducive for the seamers in the first hour or so.
Zimbabwe was one again on the backfoot even before leg-spinner Amit Mishra was introduced into the attack. The seamers and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja had the homeside struggling at 45 for 4 by the 16th over. Amit Mishra later captured 6 for 48 to accelerate the collapse of Zimbabwe. Only two batsmen got going for the hosts – opener Hamitlon Masakadza with 32 (from 46 balls) and Sean Williams with 51 (from 65 balls with 6 fours).
India’s run chase was controlled by two partnerships of 55 and 71 runs for the 2nd wicket and the 3rd wicket respectively. Shikhar Dhawan who got back into the team in the place of Rohit Sharma scored an entertaining 41 from 38 balls which included a lovely six off a pick up shot. Ajinkya Rahane, who got to play his first game of the series, helped himself to 50 (from 66 balls with 4 fours and a six). Ravindra Jadeja scored a sedate knock of 48* from 77 balls (with 4 fours and 2 sixes). India took 34 overs to wrap up the run chase.
Amit Mishra was the Man of the Match while there was no award for the Player of the Series in this Celkon Mobile Cup.
