India complete 72-run win to eliminate Zimbabwe - report
India's 256-4 is second highest total in T20 WC history
Sharma's rapid half-century sets up India total
Hardik hammers 50* off 23, Tilak thrashes 44* off 16
Bennett hits unbeaten 97 but Zimbabwe fall well short
Tatendu Taibu
Former Zimbabwe captain
That was some hitting that we witnessed. Disappointing for Zimbabwe but they need to improve in their catching in the field. Their bowlers did well at times.
Zimbabwe's catching efficiency in the group stage was 95.2%; it has dropped to 66.7% in the Super 8s
India batter Abhishek Sharma: "It is always great to contribute to the team. I have been waiting this moment for a long time now.
"I wanted to spend some time at the crease and I felt really good in practice as well. Everyone was reminding me to keep believing and that was really pleasing.
"The innings felt like the India way is back. If we feel like we have enough runs, we can go out and express ourselves and that is what we did today."
Thanks again, Elizabeth!
Let's see what Zimbabwe can do to keep themselves in the T20 World Cup. Make no mistake, this is going to be a BIG ask.
I get the feeling Zimbabwe are going to be ruing all of their fielding mistakes by the end of this.
Let's see what Abhishek Sharma thought of that opening innings...
Zimbabwe need 257 to complete an unlikely win and keep their T20 World Cup semi-final hopes alive.
To take you through their innings, here's Millie Sian.
Image source, Getty ImagesRuns for fun for India in Chennai. Every batter passed 20 and every batter had a strike rate in excess of 150.
There were 17 fours and 17 sixes.
Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 55 (30), Hardik Pandya was unbeaten on 50 (23), and Tilak Varma made a 16-ball 44.
Woorkeri Raman
Former India cricketer
This India batting unit is living up to being a very dangerous lot. They are not in the best of form as a unit but everyone came into their own today.
Ind 256-4
Hardik Pandya pulls for six! He gets his half-century off 23 balls.
India finish on 256-4. That's the second-highest score at a T20 World Cup.
For the second match in a row, Zimbabwe have leaked 250 runs.
Hardik Pandya brings up India's 250 with a six down the ground. Almost no backswing, almost no follow-through. Very impressive.
Brad Evans has the unwelcome task of bowling the final over but he's started well. Dot. Single.
Hardik Pandya is on strike.
Woorkeri Raman
Former India cricketer
The last few overs have been difficult for the Zimbabwe bowlers. It has not been lack of planning but all of these batters have been in good nick tonight.
Prakash Wakankar
BBC Test Match Special commentator
Image source, Getty ImagesTilak Varma is really quietening all of his critics now. You do feel for Zimbabwe.
Richard Ngarava finishes the over with a well-judged yorker - the high point in an otherwise miserable over.
21 from it. India will want 260.
Oh and a fielder is being brought into the ring.
Image source, Getty ImagesZoooooom. Hardik Pandya collects another four, the ball racing through mid-wicket.
Three balls later, Tilak Varma sends the ball sailing over the rope for six.
And another! A slower ball goes deep into the crowd.
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David, West Sussex
Blessing Muzarabani shakes his head after being hit for four by Tilak Varma. 11 runs off the first half of his fourth over.
He responds well, conceding just two singles off the next two deliveries, but then Varma comes back with a bang. Another six, swiping at the ball around shoulder height.
19 off the over. Sigh.
Woorkeri Raman
Former India cricketer
Image source, Getty ImagesGreat striking ability from Hardik Pandya. He makes it look so easy but I promise you it is a difficult shot to play.
The ball was angling in towards him but he maintained his shape as he extended.
Easy as you like from Hardik Pandya, swinging Blessing Muzarabani inside the leg side for six. His second of the innings, India's 12th.
Midway through the 17th over, the camera panned around the ground and picked out Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza on the boundary, frowning. It's been a rough day for Zimbabwe.
Three overs to go and India are 201-4.
Tilak Varma brings up India's 200 with a six over the covers.
Image source, Getty ImagesA touch of luck for Hardik Pandya as Blessing Muzarabani gets the penultimate ball of the over to climb on him. His wild pull falls between two fielders in the deep.
11 from the over.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dots | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Samson,caught Burl, bowled Muzarabani Samson, caught Burl, bowled Muzarabani | 24 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 160.00 |
Sharma,caught Raza, bowled Maposa Sharma, caught Raza, bowled Maposa | 55 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 65 | 183.33 |
Kishan,caught Ngarava, bowled Raza Kishan, caught Ngarava, bowled Raza | 38 | 24 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 158.33 |
Yadav,caught Musekiwa, bowled Ngarava Yadav, caught Musekiwa, bowled Ngarava | 33 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 253.85 |
Pandya,not out Pandya, not out | 50 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 39 | 217.39 |
Tilak,not out Tilak, not out | 44 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 275.00 |
Extras, no balls 1, wides 7, byes 0, leg byes 4, total 12 Extras, no balls 1, wides 7, byes 0, leg byes 4, total 12 | |||||||
Total,256 for 4 20.0 overs Total,256 for 4 20.0 overs |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Dots | No balls | Wides | 4s | 6s | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ngarava | 4.0 | 0 | 62 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 15.50 |
Muzarabani | 4.0 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10.75 |
Maposa | 2.0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 20.00 |
Evans | 4.0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13.00 |
Raza | 3.0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9.66 |
Bennett | 2.0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8.00 |
Burl | 1.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
48 for 1 (3.4 overs) | Samson |
120 for 2 (10.4 overs) | Kishan |
150 for 3 (12.5 overs) | Sharma |
172 for 4 (14.5 overs) | Yadav |
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dots | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bennett,not out Bennett, not out | 97 | 59 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 95 | 164.41 |
Marumani,caught Kishan, bowled Patel Marumani, caught Kishan, bowled Patel | 20 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 100.00 |
Myers,caught Tilak, bowled Chakravarthy Myers, caught Tilak, bowled Chakravarthy | 6 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 66.67 |
Raza,caught Sharma, bowled Arshdeep Raza, caught Sharma, bowled Arshdeep | 31 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 147.62 |
Burl,leg before wicket, bowled Arshdeep Burl, leg before wicket, bowled Arshdeep | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
Munyonga,bowled Arshdeep Munyonga, bowled Arshdeep | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 183.33 |
Musekiwa,caught Samson, bowled Dube Musekiwa, caught Samson, bowled Dube | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 175.00 |
Evans,not out Evans, not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 100.00 |
Extras, no balls 2, wides 7, byes 1, leg byes 1, total 11 Extras, no balls 2, wides 7, byes 1, leg byes 1, total 11 | |||||||
Total,184 for 6 20.0 overs Total,184 for 6 20.0 overs |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Dots | No balls | Wides | 4s | 6s | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arshdeep | 4.0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6.00 |
Pandya | 3.0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7.00 |
Bumrah | 3.0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7.00 |
Chakravarthy | 4.0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8.75 |
Patel | 4.0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8.75 |
Dube | 2.0 | 0 | 46 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 23.00 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
44 for 1 (6.2 overs) | Marumani |
72 for 2 (9.3 overs) | Myers |
144 for 3 (16.2 overs) | Raza |
144 for 4 (16.4 overs) | Burl |
162 for 5 (18.2 overs) | Munyonga |
173 for 6 (19.3 overs) | Musekiwa |