India 8-294 (Shikhar Dhawan 116, Dinesh Karthik 69, Brian Vitori 2-27) beat Zimbabwe 9-236 (Vusi Sibanda 55, Prosper Utseya 52*, Jaydev Unadkat 4-41) by 58 runs.
An attacking ton from the rising star of the Indian cricket, Shikhar Dhawan, and a devastating fast bowling from Jaydev Unadkat crushed Zimbabwe in the 2nd ODI.
India amassed 294 runs with two wickets still in hand at the end of the measured 50 overs and Zimbabwe managed 236 for the loss of 9 wickets.
Shikhar Dhawan (India) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his masterly knock of 116 runs.
The second match of the five match series was played on Friday, July 26, 2013, at Harare Sports Club.
Earlier, Brendan Taylor, the captain of Zimbabwe, won the toss and asked India to bat first. Rohit Sharma was gone for just one run as Virat Kohli and the other opener Shikhar Dhawan hit 2 fours each in the coming overs. Kohli became the next victim for 14 whereas Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina were dismissed for 5 and 4 runs respectively. The visitors were in a difficult situation at 4-65 in 16.4 overs when Dinesh Karthik provided nice support to Dhawan. They kept on crawling until the 22nd over while Dhawan hit 3 fours in the next one and completed his fifty five overs later.
Karthik was doing fine at his end and the hundred of the partnership was attained in the 36th over with another 2 fours from Dhawan. Dinesh Karthik attained his 7th ODI fifty on the last ball of the 38th over with a four. The run rate was picked up by both batsmen and Shikhar Dhawan thrashed his third ODI hundred in the 41st over. The strong partnership of 167 runs was broken at 232 when Dinesh Karthik was unluckily run out for 69 off 74 deliveries with 6 fours. Shikhar Dhawan was clean bowled by Prosper Utseya for 116 off 127 comprising 2 huge sixes and 11 fours as the Blue Shirts piled up 8-294 in 50 overs.
Brian Vitori was the top wicket taker with two whereas Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Prosper Utseya and Sean Williams shared one wicket each.
Vusi Sibanda along with Sikandar Raza got off smoothly for Zimbabwe by scoring 44 runs in 10 overs with 3 fours each from the two openers. The latter was caught by Dhawan off Jaydev Unadkat for 20 and was replaced by Hamilton Masakadza. Sibanda was the most aggressive of the two, he got boundaries at regular intervals and accumulated another six and 2 fours in the 16th over. He dispatched his 19th ODI half century two overs later with a grand six and the score went past the hundred runs mark in the 20th one.
Vusi Sibanda was caught by Amit Mishra at midwicket off Jaydev Unadkat for 55 off 65 balls with 2 lofty sixes and 7 fours. The second wicket fell at 109 in 20.1 overs as the middle order batting of the hosts crumbled badly and Hamilton Masakadza was the fifth batsman who went back to the pavilion at 130 in 28.1 overs for 34. Malcolm Waller followed him three runs later after scoring two runs as Elton Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya joined in the center. The duo opted to attack, sent the ball out of the fence quite a few times and enhanced the score to 221 in 48.1 overs while Elton Chigumbura was caught behind for 46 off 58 with 1 six and 4 fours. Prosper Utseya achieved his fourth ODI half century with two consecutive fours in the 49th over. He secured his end for 52 off 62 with 5 fours as Zimbabwe reached 9-236.
Jaydev Unadkat was the star performer with four wickets, Amit Mishra got two whereas Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja held one wicket each.
India won the match against Zimbabwe easily by a margin of 58 runs. The men in Blue lead the series 2-0 and the third game will be played on July 28, 2013, at the same venue.
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