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A rampant India piled up a record total and handed Zimbabwe a 72-run shellacking in a Super 8s contest to revive their Twenty20 World Cup title defence. Sent in, the hosts blasted 256 for four, the tournament’s highest score this year, after Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya struck blistering half centuries.
It rained 17 sixes and as many fours at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium as India’s top order feasted on a modest Zimbabwean attack made even blunter by their sloppy catching. Left with a mountain to climb, Zimbabwe managed 184 for six. Brian Bennett hit an unbeaten 97 from 59 balls but it was not enough to prevent their elimination from the tournament.
India and West Indies will clash in a virtual quarter-final in Kolkata on Sunday. “The contribution from all the batters. It was heartening to see,” India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, said. We could have been a little bit more clinical with the ball but it’s fine. At the end of the day, a win is a win.”
India began brightly as Sanju Samson (24) pressed his case on his return to the side and Sharma tried to find his form. Samson could not kick on, but Sharma, who began the tournament with three ducks in a row, tore into Zimbabwe as India cruised to 80 for one after the six-over powerplay.
Zimbabwe’s woes deepened when Tashinga Musekiwa spilled the chance to dismiss Ishan Kishan, India’s most prolific batter in the tournament so far, on 26.
Kishan fell to Sikandar Raza’s spin for 38, but Sharma sped to a 26-ball half-century before Tinotenda Maposa’s change of pace undid him for 55. Yadav dropped on eight, departed after smacking 33 off 13 balls but there was no respite for Zimbabwe. Pandya (50) and Tilak Varma (44) stitched together an unbroken 84 off 31 deliveries to effectively bat Zimbabwe out of the contest.
Zimbabwe escaped their powerplay unscathed after Tadiwanashe Marumani was dropped in the deep but the opener fell to Axar Patel for 20 in the spinner’s first over.
Bennett raced to a 34-ball 50 but Arshdeep Singh removed Raza (31) and Ryan Burl in the same over to put India on course for victory. Singh ended with figures of three for 24.
“We could have executed our defensive plans better as well and we gave too many runs away,” Zimbabwe captain, Raza, said. “Once the train goes, it is hard to get back. We could have restricted them to 210 or 220.”
South Africa took a giant leap toward the semi-finals after a dominant nine-wicket win over West Indies. A whirlwind 95-run opening partnership between the captain, Aiden Markram (82 not out), and Quinton de Kock (47) in eight overs made short work of the chase. Ryan Rickelton added an unbeaten 45 and South Africa motored to 177 for one in 16.1 overs and stretched their unbeaten record in the tournament to six games. West Indies reached 176 for eight, having been 83 for seven.
South Africa could top Group One in the Super 8s if they beat Zimbabwe in their last game on Sunday. Markram set the tone for the chase by smashing seven fours and four sixes in his 82 off 46 balls. De Kock hit four sixes and four fours in his 24-ball 47. Rickelton maintained the express scoring with 45 off 28 balls. He and Markram shared an unbroken stand of 82 and South Africa won with more than three overs to spare for a fourth time in Ahmedabad.
The lone wicket was taken by the all-rounder Roston Chase, who was drafted into the playing XI in place of spinner Akeal Hosein.
Fast bowlers Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder could not bowl West Indies to victory after batting their side to respectability. Shepherd (52 not out) and Holder (49) lifted West Indies from an embarrassing 83 for seven with a remarkable 89-run stand in which Shepherd recorded his first T20 international half century.
In a frenetic powerplay, West Indies lost four wickets in 11 balls and were 52 for four. South Africa also dropped three catches in the first six overs.
Kagiso Rabada (two for 22) drew a faint edge from the West Indies captain, Shai Hope, and also took the wicket of Shimron Hetmyer, who top-edged a pull to wicketkeeper De Kock in the third over. Lungi Ngidi (three for 30) took out Brandon King and Chase in the fourth over.
Holder and Shepherd pushed the accelerator in the death overs. Holder smashed Marco Jansen for 23 runs in the 18th before he was run out in the final over. Shepherd completed his half century with an inside edge off the final ball of the innings but South Africa kept the score under par.
