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Preview: On a high after a clean sweep in the recently-concluded One-Day International (ODI) series, the new-look India team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni will aim to continue their domination when they take on Zimbabwe in the first game of three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series in Harare on Saturday. After inflicting a 3-0 ODI series whitewash on the hosts, the young Indian side will look to pull off an encore in the shortest format of the game and end the tour with a perfect record. The ODI series was thoroughly dominated by the young Indians some of whom made their international debut. Opening batsman Lokesh Rahul, who was adjudged the Man of the Series along with Faiz Faisal, made the most of the opportunity to take the team to a comfortable victory against a hapless Zimbabwe side while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal starred with the ball. [caption id=“attachment_2835884” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Scenes from the second ODI between India and Zimbabwe, with the former cruising an eight-wicket win. AFP[/caption] But ahead of the T20I series, the hosts will take some encouragement from past results agaist India. In 2015, the Ajinkya Rahane-led India were held to a 1-1 draw in the T20I series after they lost the second match. Kedar Jhadhav and Manish Pandey, who are also on the tour this time around, will be well aware of the past results. After an easy outing in the ODI series, Dhoni will like to try out in the T20Is Mandeep Singh, Jayant Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat who have warmed the bench till now. Rahul, Pandey and Ambati Rayudu are almost certain in the T20I line-up. But, it will be a choice between Karun Nair and young Faiz Fazal for the opener’s spot. Nair got to play in the first two ODIs, scoring 39 in the second game after failing in the first, but Fazal impressed in his first outing in international arena, scoring maiden half-century which came in a winning cause. Nair has been consistent for Indian Premier League (IPL) sides Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, but Fazal hasn’t featured in the cash-rich league since 2011. On the other hand, Zimbabwe, after surrendering to a dominant India in the ODI series, will aim to give it all and put up some fight in the shortest format of the game and upset the visitors. But the hosts suffered a blow when senior players Sean Williams and Craig Ervine were ruled out after suffering injuries during the ODIs. Ervine injured his hamstring in the first ODI, while Williams, who replaced him for the second game, fractured his finger at training soon after the toss. Tendai Chisoro and Tawanda Mupariwa, who were part of the ODI squad, have been left out, while the uncapped Tapiwa Mufudza earned a call-up. Brian Chari and Tinotenda Mutombodzi, who last played an international game in late 2015, were also recalled, while Chamu Chibhabha, who last played T20Is in January, was picked following decent returns in the ODI series. Among the notable omissions from the ICC World T20 squad, in which the Africans failed to qualify for the main round, are Tinashe Panyangara, out with a back injury, and Luke Jongwe. Despite the loss in their last T20I outing in the country, the series is expected to be a smooth ride for second-ranked India against the No.12-ranked hosts.
India vs Zimbabwe 2016, 1st T20I at Harare, as it happened: Dhoni fails to finish as hosts clinch thriller!
Catch the live updates of the first T20I between India and Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club here
 "India vs Zimbabwe 2016, 1st T20I at Harare, as it happened: Dhoni fails to finish as hosts clinch thriller!")
Defending 8 runs in final over in T20 is a real big deal, especially with Dhoni in the middle. Well done Madziva!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) June 18, 2016
After 20 overs,India 168/6 ( MS Dhoni (C) (W) 19 , Rishi Dhawan 1)
It turns out to be a see-saw battle between Axar and Tiripano in the penultimate over after Dhoni takes a single off the first ball. Axar is beaten in a couple of classy deliveries thanks to some clever bowling, but all his good work is nullified with a four and a six that brings the equation down to eight off the last six. Dhoni on strike for the final over.
First ball — Full delivery outside off which Dhoni sends straight down the ground for a single. OUT! Axar is dismissed in the second delivery while looking to hammer the full delivery outside off over long-off, getting caught by substitute fielder Wellington Masakadza instead! Dhoni only gets a single in the third ball, with Rishi Dhawan on strike. Dot off the fourth, before the fifth is called a wide — a tad unfair decision, given the fact that the batsman had shuffled far to his right. Dhawan manages to grab a single in the fifth ball to hand the strike back to ‘Captain Cool’, with India needing four off the last ball.
ZIMBABWE WIN! Dhoni encounters a rare failure as a finisher as he only manages to scoop the ball towards deep cover, getting only a single! Neville Madziva is delirious in his celebrations, collecting a stump as a memento and running off towards the boundary rope in joy!
What a brilliant final over by Madziva, conceding just five off the crucial last one! Graeme Cremer is an ecstatic man, and is wearing a broad smile on his face for the first time in this series! Zimbabwe thoroughly deserved a win today, and it will help wake the Indians up in this series.
After 18 overs,India 150/5 ( MS Dhoni (C) (W) 15 , Axar Patel 6)
Even though Dhoni and Pandey have settled well at the crease, and are getting the occasional boundary, will have to step up the scoring rate if they are to prevent the prospect of having to scale a tall peak in the final couple of overs.
In the meantime, Dhoni communicates his displeasure to Manish Pandey for the latter’s running between the wickets, with the two nearly colliding on a couple of occasions. OUT! Pandey falls just two short of a half-century as he miscues the second ball of the 18th over towards Tiripano at deep cover off Muzarabani’s bowling. Axar walks out to bat, and hammers his second ball over long-on for a six!
India need 21 off the last 12 balls.
Manish Pandey looks like the 'Virat Kohli' of Team India at this current situation 😋😆 #ZIMvIND
— . (@jhgfdfghjkjhgs) June 18, 2016
Trust Dhoni to convert ones into Roger Twose.#wtf #ZIMvIND
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) June 18, 2016
After 15 overs,India 118/4 ( Manish Pandey 38 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 7)
Kedar Jadhav’s maiden outing in the 2016 tour of Zimbabwe comes to an end in the 13th over when he drags the Muzarabani delivery onto his off-stump while looking to smash it over midwicket. Jadhav’s off-stump lies flat on the ground, as he departs for 19, with India losing their fourth wicket with 90 on board. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni walks out to bat for the first time in this tour. Zimbabwean skipper Graeme Cremer goes for a rather expensive one in the 14th over, conceding 16 off it including two consecutive sixes off Pandey’s bat. Dhoni gets his first boundary in the subsequent over, piercing the gap between thir dman and backward point.
India need 53 to win from 30 balls.
After 12 overs,India 89/3 ( Manish Pandey 16 , Kedar Jadhav 19)
Pandey and Jadhav are beginning to rebuild the innings, and are tackling the spinners rather well at the moment, both getting a six each at this stage. Perhaps for the first time in this tour, the Indian batsmen are under genuine pressure. However, it is a blessing in disguise for Pandey and Jadhav, both of whom barely got to bat in the ODIs, and the two stand chance of impressing the selectors today.
India need 82 to win from 48 balls.
After 9 overs,India 60/3 ( Manish Pandey 3 , Kedar Jadhav 5)
Mandeep moves into the 30s with a boundary towards fine-leg, before he gets caught spectacularly by Mutombodzi at long-off to give Chibhabha his second wicket of the innings and depart for 31. India lose their third wicket with 55 on board, as the pressure is starting to mount for the Indian middle-order.
India need 111 to win from 66 balls.
After 6 overs,India 44/2 ( Mandeep Singh 23 , Manish Pandey 0)
Mandeep is given a fresh lease of life in the fourth over when Muzarabani drops a catch that could have dismissed him for 7 near long-on. The debutant makes the most of the 2nd chance that is granted to him, ending the over with two consecutive boundaries! Muzarabani is introduced in the very next over by skipper Cremer — probably to get his mind off the dropped chance — and he gets hammered for two boundaries by Rayudu. Chamu Chibhabha is introduced in the final over of powerplay, and shines with the ball as well as he castles Rayudu for 19, with India losing their second wicket with 44 on board.
India need 127 to win from 84 balls.
After 3 overs,India 16/1 ( Mandeep Singh 5 , Ambati Rayudu 10)
BOWLED! After a superb run in the IPL, as well as in the ODI-leg of this tour, KL Rahul gets his T20I career off to a forgettable start by dragging the first ball of the Indian innings onto his stumps to depart for a golden duck, giving Donald Tiripano the honour of getting the much-needed early breakthrough. Rayudu however, gets the first runs on the scoreboard with a couple of boundaries in the over. Mandeep gets off the mark in the next over with a beautifully-timed cover drive that sends the ball racing away towards the boundary rope.
After 3 overs,India 16/1 ( Mandeep Singh 5 , Ambati Rayudu 10)
BOWLED! After a superb run in the IPL, as well as in the ODI-leg of this tour, KL Rahul gets his T20I career off to a forgettable start by dragging the first ball of the Indian innings onto his stumps to depart for a golden duck, giving Donald Tiripano the honour of getting the much-needed early breakthrough. Rayudu however, gets the first runs on the scoreboard with a couple of boundaries in the over. Mandeep gets off the mark in the next over with a beautifully-timed cover drive that sends the ball racing away towards the boundary rope.
KL Rahul:
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) June 18, 2016
Unbeaten century on ODI debut
Golden duck on T20I debut#ZIMvIND
Fastest T20I 50s for Zim:
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) June 18, 2016
20 Waller v Ban, 2015
21 Chigumbura v UAE, 2014
21 Williams v Afg, 2015
25 Chigumbura v Ind, today#ZIMvIND
After 20 overs,Zimbabwe 170/6 ( Elton Chigumbura 54 , Neville Madziva 5)
The 19th over of the Zimbabwean innings turns out to be their best one in India’s tour so far, with 21 runs coming off it, including two sixes and a boundary off Chigumbura’s bat. Huge worry for Jaydev Unadkat from now until his next opportunity, for he may have squandered a valuable opportunity off with some wayward bowling. Bumrah is not spared of Chigumbura’s fury either, as the latter smashes two sixes to get to his half-century in just 25 balls, with the hosts finishing on a commanding total of 170/6!
After 18 overs,Zimbabwe 134/6 ( Elton Chigumbura 24 , Neville Madziva 2)
The highly-experienced Chigumbura keeps the Zimbabwean scoreboard ticking at a rather furious pace, hammering two sixes off Chahal’s final over of the day as the latter finishes with expensive figures of 1/38 from four overs. OUT! Bumrah returns to the attack in the following over, and Zimbabwe skipper Graeme Cremer is dismissed off the first ball of the over, attempting a loft straight down the ground, but miscuing it towards mid-off instead.
After 15 overs,Zimbabwe 111/4 ( Tinotenda Mutombodzi 3 , Elton Chigumbura 7)
Malcolm Waller is starting to look increasingly dangerous with a series of boundaries, and races to 30 in no time, before getting his stumps rattled by a googly by Chahal, who gets his first wicket on T20I debut. Further misery for Zimbabwe in the following over, as Sikandar Raza is run-out for 20, thanks to poor communication between him and Mutombodzi. The 15th over turns out to be a good one for the hosts, with 11 coming off it, including a no-ball and a six by Chigumbura in the free-hit.
After 9 overs,Zimbabwe 67/2 ( Sikandar Raza 15 , Malcolm Waller 6)
Chamu Chigumbura continues to look aggressive, as he was in the one-dayers, and brings up the 50 for Zimbabwe in the seventh over with a boundary and a double, before inside-edging a slower ball from Rishi Dhawan onto his leg-stump. Clever plotting by Dhoni and Dhawan, and the latter is rewarded with his maiden T20I scalp. The ninth over turns out to be a good one for Zimbabwe as they 10 off it, including two boundaries off Raza’s bat.
After 6 overs,Zimbabwe 41/1 ( Chamu Chibhabha 13 , Sikandar Raza 2)
OUT! Masakadza’s quickfire innings, in which he hammers three sixes and a four, comes to an end as he miscues a slower ball while attempting to scoop it towards fine-leg, serving MS Dhoni the simplest of catches instead. Departs for 25, as Zimbabwe lose their first wicket with 33 on board. Later, wicketkeeper-batsman Richmond Mutumbami gets hit on the abdomen/rib-cage area after inside-edging an Unadkat bouncer. He collapses on the field immediately, and has to be carried off later as he retires hurt for a duck.
5 debutants for India in this match, which is their most in a single T20I excluding the first T20I where all 11 were debutants. #ZIMvIND
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) June 18, 2016
After 3 overs,Zimbabwe 20/0 ( Chamu Chibhabha 7 , Hamilton Masakadza 12)
Solid start from Zimbabwe. Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha have managed to survive so far. Masakadza has looked good and could give Zimbabwe a good platform Zombabwe to post a challenging total for India. Something that the hosts have never managed to do so far in this series.
Rishi Dhawan, Mandeep Singh, KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jaydev Unadkat make their T20I debut
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) June 18, 2016
Live: https://t.co/D84X3x4e92 #ZIMvIND
India XI: Rahul, Mandeep, Rayudu, Pandey, Jadhav, Dhoni, Patel, Dhawan, Bumrah, Unadkat, Chahal
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) June 18, 2016
Live: https://t.co/D84X3x4e92 #ZIMvIND
A Bombay Bong with an identity crisis. Passionately follow cricket. Hardcore fan of Team India, the Proteas and junk food. Self-proclaimed shutterbug. see more
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