OUT! That is all out, and Zimbabwe sink by 62 runs. They are all out for 209 in the 49th over.
Zimbabwe have preserved their 7th wicket, which has now added 44 runs. However, they now need 96 off 36 balls and victory is almost of reach
19:08 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Six down! Zimbabwe are falling apart in Harare to the spin and guile of Harbhajan and Axar Patel - with an unfortunate run out to add to the misery. Chamu Chibabha, who had played well for 72, is first run out, and then Harbhajan gets Sikandar Raza. 134/6 after 32 overs, and it's drinks.
18:40 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
OUT! Sean Williams has been out for 20. He has been castled by Axar Patel. Zimbabwe lose their fourth wicket and are now in big trouble.
18:10 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Zimbabwe have reached 63/3 after 18 overs. The required run rate is now nearly 6.5 runs per over. Even so, Chamu Chibabha in particular has looked comfortable, moving on to 37. Sean Williams is still finding his feet.
17:37 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
OUT! That is the third wicket and now Zimbabwe are really reeling. Elton Chigumbura stayed back for the short of length ball as it shaped away, poked and gets a thick edge towards second slip. Stunning catch from Rahane. It's the second wicket for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Zimbabwe 43/3 in 11 overs.
17:10 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
OUT! Vusimusi Sibanda is gone. Zimbabwe had motored along to 24 in 5 overs before Dhaval Kulkarni scalped him.
16:19 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Double strike by Madziva pegs India back. Only 5 runs in the last ovver and India has finished at 271/8.
16:00 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
OUT! Stuart Binny has hit a good length ball on off straight to long on. He made 25 off 16. India are six down with just 8 balls left, and 264 on the board.
Stuart Binny has reached 25 off 15 balls. After Utthappa's wicket, Kedar Jadhav has made 14 off 10.
15:42 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
India have reached 228/4 after 45 overs. Suddenly there seems to be an attempt to score quickly. Robin Utthappa and Stuart Binny are at the crease.
15:25 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
OUT! Manoj Tiwary has holed out at deep midwicket. India have been unable to really accelerate in these crucial overs. It was a length ball by Raza on middle, and Tiwary had a big heave at it across the line, only holing out to deep midwicket. He made 21 off 24 balls. India 203/3 after 42 overs.
15:10 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Manoj Tiwary has joined Ambati Rayudu and the two are now motoring along. The two picked 14 runs off the 37th over, taking India's score to 181/2. India should ideally look for 300.
14:56 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
OUT! Murali Vijay is gone. He lofted a ball from Madziva down the ground. He was almost dropped on the boundary by substitute MN Waller, who catches it on the second chance. Vijay is out for 72 off 95 balls. India 159/2.
14:47 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Rayudu survives a very close appeal for lbw,. He can consider himself extremely lucky. Indian run rate is creeping towards 5 per over. Both trying to take fair amount of risk. Ind- 158/1 after 33.
14:38 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
First six from M Vijay in the 30th over. He is such a class act, when is on full flow. Vijay dances down the track and effortlessly lifts Chibhabha over long off. He repeats the same shot for identical result in the very next over off Vitori. Clearly Indians have decided to up the ante. Rayudu seems to have woken up Vijay that it is limited over game after-all!!
14:28 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Rayudu is the new man in. He has started in a brisk note. The confidence of a ton behind him is clearly showing.
Vijay finally reaches 50 of 82 balls. It is his maiden fifty and he will like to stay on to convert it to a 100. Vijay has been a prolific batter for India in the longer format, but ironically the attacking TN player has had little success in the shorter format. This 50 hopefully will be a monkey off his back. He has curbed his instincts significantly to play a disciplined innings. IND-130/1 after 29 overs.
14:21 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
OUT! Rahane is dismissed just when he was looking in supreme touch. He is gone for 63 of 83 balls. Chibhabha gets aleading edge, and the catch was lapped up easily. IND- 112/1 after 26.
14:03 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Spin from both ends now and Rahane has started to milk the bowling with ease. He is also dispatching the loose balls to the boundary. But the problem has been too many dot balls in the middle.
Rahane finally reaches his 50. He has scored 53 of 72 balls. IND- 92/0 after 22 overs.
13:43 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Rahane has decided to cut loose now. He just danced down the track to hit a ball over the mid-off fielder. Not the most classy stroke, the Mumbaikar has ever played, but it will serve the purpose as of now. It is spin from one end and pace from other end. The strategy is to squeeze some quick overs and also get a breakthrough. IND- 68/0 after 18 overs.
13:32 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Indians are continuing with their wait and watch strategy. It is pretty sedate batting at the moment. What will worry the Zim camp is that while their bowlers haven't conceded much, they haven't been menacing either. So Indians can easily change gear when they wish to do so. IND- 55/0 after 14.
13:15 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Indians still sticking to the safety first strategy. Probably too much scarred from last match! The problem with strategy of the openers espescially that of Vijay is that if they get out the new batsman has to start afresh with not much in the board.
Zimbabwe bowlers though have started to give some loose balls, straying on to the pads. IND- 39/0 after 10
12:55 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Zimbabwe bowlers have come out with a clear plan to bowl in the fifth stump. The strategy is to induce an edge or force the Indians to play a false stroke. As of now Indians too seem to be prepared for the grind. Rahane(12) is more of the aggressor between the two openers. IND-17/0 after 5 overs
12:50 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Rahane gets his first boundary. Vitori gives room outside offside and the classy batsman doesn't miss the chance to drive it through cover. IND- 10/0 after 3.
12:45 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
It's a very cautious start from India. Both Rahane and Vijay looking to preserve their wicket. The pitch is not pacy but the ball is seaming around a bit. Zim bowlers are trying to operate in tight channels to frustrate the Indian batters. They know couple of early wickets may again open the floodgates.
12:16 IST Sunday, 12 July 2015
Zimbabwe have won the toss and elected to bowl first.
India have fielded the same team which won the opening ODI by four runs. Zimbabwe have made one change with Tinashe Panyangara making way for Neville Madziva.
Teams:
India: A Rahane (c), M Vijay, A Rayudu, M Tiwary, R Uthappa, K Jadhav, S Binny, A Patel, Harbhajan Singh, B Kumar, D Kulkarni.
Zimbabwe: E Chigumbura (c), V Sibanda, C Chibhabha, H Masakadza, S Williams, Sikandar Raza, R Mutumbami, A Cremer, D Tiripano, B Vitori, N Madziva.
........................................................................
Team India survived jitters before scraping through a very narrow win in the first ODI of the series. The top order failed to fire and it was left to the heroics of Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny to get the team to a respectable total. Zimbabwe had Indians by the scruff of their knock with captain Elton Chigumbura scoring a stellar 104 not out. The Indians won narrowly but they surely had their hearts in their mouth, especially coming after a dismal series against Bangladesh. India have selected a second string side for this series, so for many of them this is a chance to bask in the sun. While Rayadu and Binny took the opportunity gleefuly in the last match, others will also like to emulate them. Zimbabwe on the other hand will try to again punch above their weight and hope to cross the line this time.
Here's the match preview.
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