Sanju Samson, Mukesh Kumar star as India beat Zimbabwe by 42 runs

Harare, July 14: Vice-captain Sanju Samson smashed his second T20I fifty through a 45-ball 58, while fast-bowler Mukesh Kumar picked his career-best figures in the format through 4-22 as India beat Zimbabwe by 42 runs in the fifth and final game at the Harare Sports Club to win the series 4-1.

Samson was at his languid best, hitting a four and four sixes in his knock, while sharing a 65-run stand off 56 balls for the fourth wicket with Riyan Parag, to bail India out of trouble after losing their top three batters in power-play.

Dube’s quick cameo of 26, along with some lofty hits at the end from Rinku Singh took India to a competitive 167/6, as 30 runs came off the last two overs. In reply, Mukesh struck twice with the new ball to put Zimbabwe in early trouble.

Dion Myers and Tadiwanashe Marumani kept Zimbabwe in the hunt, but a collapse saw the hosts’ go from 85/3 to 94/7 and be eventually all out for 125 in 18.3 overs, as India got a strong series win after losing the opening match by 13 runs.

Mukesh gave India a brilliant start in their defence of 168 when Wesley Madhevere chopped on to his stumps in the opening over. The pacer came back in the third over to have Brian Bennett flashing hard at outside the off-stump and was caught by third man. He could have got his third wicket if he hadn’t overstepped while castling Myers.

Myers and Marumani hit seven boundaries between themselves to lead Zimbabwe’s fight with a 44-run stand off 36 balls for the third wicket. But Washington Sundar broke the partnership by trapping a sweeping Marumani lbw with a slower delivery in the ninth over.

Myers hit Abhishek Sharma for a four and six to keep Zimbabwe on track, but Dube took him out in the 13th over with a short ball cramping the batter for room and was caught off a leading edge by backward point.

Sikandar Raza being run out in a mix-up with Johnathan Campbell by a direct hit from Dube, who took out the latter in the next over was a jolt Zimbabwe couldn’t recover from. From there, Abhishek and Tushar Deshpande got a wicket each, while Mukesh took remaining two scalps to finish with a four-fer in another convincing win for India.

Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a blistering start by swatting Raza for consecutive sixes on the first two balls of the innings, including off a no-ball. But Raza struck back by getting the ball to come in late and go past Jaiswal’s attempted on-drive to send the leg-stump on a walk.

Abhishek was lucky to have been dropped by Bennett at cover-point off Blessing Muzarabani, but the pacer bounced back by having the left-handed batter nick behind an angled across delivery to Madande.

Shubman Gill didn’t look much fluent in his stay at the crease, and was dismissed by Richard Ngarava when he tried to top-edged a pull to mid-on. In rebuilding India’s innings, Samson dealt majorly in boundaries – striking three wonderful sixes with his beautiful bat-swing, including a monstrous 110m hit.

Brandon Mavuta gave Zimbabwe the breakthrough when Parag miscued his loft to long-off. But Samson marched forward by smashing boundaries to get his fifty, before pulling straight to deep mid-wicket and fall for 45-ball 58 off Muzarabani.

Dube hit four cracking boundaries in his 12-ball 26 before a miscommunication with Rinku led to his run-out in the final over. Rinku lofted Faraz Akram down the ground for six, as 14 runs came off the final over.

For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of bowlers with 2/19 in his four overs, while their fielding, despite good catches being taken, had some lapses – three dropped chances, along with some fumbles, an aspect which hurt them throughout the series apart from their feeble batting returns.