IND vs ZIM 2024: 3 players who flopped and 2 who starred in the 1st India vs Zimbabwe T20I ft. Ravi Bishnoi & Ruturaj Gaikwad
Zimbabwe sprung an upset for the ages as they beat Team India by 13 runs in the first T20I of the five-match series in Harare on Saturday, July 6. The loss was the visitors' first defeat in 2024 in the shortest format.
Zimbabwe never seemed like they were in the game in the first innings and needed a last-wicket partnership to get to 115/9. But they stormed back in the chase, with their bowlers combining to bowl the Men in Blue out for their fifth-lowest total in T20I history.
On that note, here are three players who flopped and two who starred in the first T20I between India and Zimbabwe.
#5 Star - Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar was one of the few Indian players who stood out in the first T20I against Zimbabwe as he chipped in with both bat and ball to give his team a fighting chance.
Introduced as the sixth bowler, Sundar bowled his four overs for just 11 runs while picking up two wickets, including the big one of Dion Myers. He was also involved in a run-out.
Sundar waged a lone battle in the second half of the chase. While his questionable power hitting and game awareness let him down at times, the all-rounder fought hard to drag the game into the final over.
#4 Flop - Ruturaj Gaikwad
As one of the senior batters in the squad, Ruturaj Gaikwad needed to get stuck in and play a calm hand in the chase. However, his T20I career, which hasn't taken off for the most part so far, witnessed another disappointing failure.
Gaikwad fished at one outside off, as he has done so often in the past. Even though there wasn't much movement on offer, his tentative poke saw him snaffled at slip. The 27-year-old needs to do better.
#3 Flop - Abhishek Sharma
It's harsh to label a debutant a flop, but Abhishek Sharma's game awareness let him down on Saturday.
The left-hander was confronted by an off-spinner with the new ball, and he looked edgy at the crease. A couple of refused singles and tentative off-side shots preceded a miscued pull that found its way straight to midwicket.
On a pitch where the other spinners enjoyed themselves, Abhishek's two overs went for 17 runs. He is a seriously talented player who needs to bat and bowl as much as possible, but his debut didn't go to plan.
#2 Flop - Riyan Parag
Another debutant whose shot selection let him down in Harare, Riyan Parag tried to drive one on the up despite the pitch not offering batters the freedom to play those shots.
Parag found a fielder in the circle and walked back for just two runs. Having already seen two wickets go down in the powerplay, the youngster should have been more circumspect and more understanding of the conditions.
#1 Star - Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi was simply too good for the Zimbabwe batters, who had no clue how to play him in Harare. The leg-spinner's inward angle, googlies, and pace through their air proved impossible to counter as he registered the best figures of his T20I career.
Bishnoi even bowled two maidens and was unlucky not to get a fifth scalp. He's one of the country's best T20 bowlers, and he's proving that quite often on the international stage.