India bagged a 90-run win over Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the three-match series at Harare Sports Club in Harare on Saturday, July 25.
Delving into the details of the game, India was tasked to bat first, and they posted a whopping total of 219/5 in 20 overs. Ishan Kishan (81) and Tilak Varma (60*) were the star batters in the first innings.
In the chase, Zimbabwe got all out for 129 runs in 17.5 overs, losing the game by 90 runs. Abhishek Sharma was the star bowler with a three-wicket haul while Prince Yadav and Yash Thakur scalped two wickets each.
On that note, let’s take a look at who said what after ZIMvIND, 2nd T20I.
Shreyas Iyer, India captain:
I feel exultant, especially with the way we won today. It was a comprehensive victory and a brilliant contribution from each and every player. [On what stood out most in the performance] Starting with the batting, I think the way Ishan and Tilak played was outstanding. A few of the shots they played were rakanaka (beautiful), and they were really pleasing to the eye. At the start, I felt anything between 180 and 200 would have been a par score, but we ended up getting 220, which was the icing on the cake. So, yeah, brilliant contributions from both of them. Then, with the ball, as usual, the bowlers came in, executed their lines and lengths precisely and bundled them out for 130-odd. I think that basically tells you the story of the game. [On the fearless approach of the young team] Yes, that’s how you’ve got to approach the game. I feel it’s all about the attitude. Don’t dwell too much on previous performances. Keep moving forward and, more importantly, stay in the present. You’ve got to maximise every opportunity you get. Tomorrow is another opportunity, so we’re looking forward to it. [On possible changes for the final T20I] Let’s see. We haven’t decided yet and I haven’t spoken to the coach. Unfortunately, one of our players (Prince) picked up an injury, so there could be a couple of changes.
Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe captain:
[On where the game slipped away in the first innings] I thought the boys bowled well in patches, but credit to India as well. Some of the shots they played and the skill they showed today were certainly admirable. We’ve been saying for some time now that we can be better in the field, and if the fielding department can support the bowlers a bit more, it’ll add extra pressure on the opposition. But I don’t want to take anything away from the Indian batters. The display they put on today is certainly something we can learn from. [On Ishan’s innings] Yeah, certainly. Ishan has done that quite regularly and consistently. I think he’s going through a really good patch and batting very well, especially at number three, which can be a very tricky role. He and Tilak batted really well and, like I said, the skill they have and what they showed us today is something we can learn from. Hopefully, it’ll help us improve as well. [On the approach to chasing 220] We were always going to go for it. If you look at our openers, they gave us exactly the sort of start we needed. Unfortunately, it comes down to inexperience at times and sometimes shot selection, which is where we’re letting ourselves down. But most importantly, I think I’ve been letting the team down as captain with my batting. The onus is on me to get it right because the team needs my runs, and unfortunately that hasn’t been the case over the last two T20 games. But, Inshallah, I’ll do my best to turn it around because the team could really do with my runs.
Ishan Kishan, Player of the match:
Obviously, when you score runs for your team and help them post a good total and finish on the winning side, it’s always a great feeling to be in that situation. But, yeah, I’m really happy with the overall team performance. I think we did very well today. [On his approach compared to the first T20I] To be very honest, I didn’t feel this was the kind of wicket where you could just walk in and score 200-plus runs. We felt anything around 180 would be a good total because there was variable bounce on a few deliveries. So we knew partnerships were going to be very important. But as a number three batter, once you’re set, you want to make it count and score big runs so that your team gets to a total like the 220 odd we managed today.
[On batting after the early wickets] You don’t think about the wickets that have already fallen. The past is past. You just keep watching the ball. You know your strengths, you know where you can score and which bowlers you can target. It’s about being smart in the middle. I kept things very simple and just backed myself to play my shots all around the ground. [On India’s young fast bowlers] I’m really happy to see them doing well, especially Mayank Yadav, Yash and everyone else. Prince has played a few matches as well. All of them bring great energy to the field. It’s not just about how they’re bowling. They’ve all worked incredibly hard and each of them has a great story behind their success. At the same time, they’ve contributed brilliantly in the field as well. It’s really good to have them around, and the way they’re bowling, I think they’re going to make a big name for themselves. [On his missed run-out chance] I thought the batter was already inside the crease, but my bad. I’ll be looking at the bails next time.
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