Bumrah packs Zimbabwe for 123 in third ODI

Harare, June 15 (IANS) Promising medium pacer Jasprit Burah led from the front with four wickets as Indian bowlers made light work of the Zimbabwean batsmen to restrict them for a meagre 123 in 42.1 overs here on Wednesday.

Electing to bat after winning the toss at the Harare Sports Club, the hosts lost six wickets within a span of just six runs to lose the plot completely against a disciplined Indian bowling line-up.

Senior batsman Vusi Sibanda once again got off to a good start scoring 38, while opener Chamu Chibhabha scored 27 as the rest of the batsmen crumbled under pressure.

Zimbabwe got off to a patient start as Chibhabha and Sibanda put on 36 runs for the second wicket before Sibanda paired up with Timycen Maruma (17) to raise 34 runs for the third wicket.

Comfortably placed at 104/3 by the 33rd over, Zimbabwe's innings once again hit the roadblock as Bumrah accounted for Maruma and Elton Chigumbura off consecutive deliveries before Malcolm Waller (8) perished to a silly run-out on the very first ball of the next over.

Zimbabwe's woes did not end there as left-arm spinner Axar Patel packed skipper Graeme Cremer the very next ball to reduce them to 104/7 and then wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami (4) and Tawanda Mupariwa (1) were soon back in the dressing room.

The last wicket duo of Neville Madziva (10) and Donald Tiripano (2) added 13 runs before medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni effected a run-out off his own follow-through to skittle out the hosts for 123.

For the visitors, apart from Bumrah's four-for, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took two scalps and Axar Patel and Dhawal Kulkarni chipped in with one wicket apiece.

--IANS

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