It was memorable evening for the KL Rahul-led Indian cricket team as it defeated Zimbabwe by 13 runs in the third ODI to complete a 3-0 series sweep. Sikandar Raza scored a heroic ton to give India a mighty scare in Harare, but ultimately the visitors prevailed. With most of the senior players being rested, the series was all the more special for the lot. Earlier, Shubman Gill made his first international century. Gill not only wreaked havoc with the bat, he also caught Zimbabwe centurion Sikandar Raza, who was threatening to give the home side a shock victory.
Gill won the player of the match and player of the series awards, having contributed 245 runs in the three matches.
After the match, it was time for celebration for the Indian team. Shikhar Dhawan gave a glimpse of the celebration in a social media post that has gone viral. In the video post, the Indian team members can be seen dancing to the hit song ‘Kala Chashma’ from the movie ‘Baar Baar Dekho’.
It is important to remember that earlier this year, a group of dancers and movement directors from a troupe named ‘Quick Style’ went viral over them taping their feet to the beats of popular party anthem ‘Kala Chashma’ at a wedding. The group put up a high-octane performance replete with animated expressions and sleek moves, the clip shows. The victory celebration by Dhawan and co is quite similar to the video that went viral earlier this year.
Talking about the match, after India captain KL Rahul won the toss and batted, the tourists posted 289-8 in 50 overs. Zimbabwe were all out for 276 in reply with three balls remaining.
The tourists looked set for victory when they reduced the home side to 122-5 with all the regular scorers bar Raza back in the pavilion. But Pakistan-born Raza shrugged off poor form in the first two matches to smash 115 and leave Zimbabwe needing 17 runs off 12 balls for victory.
The tail could not deliver, and a gallant run chase by Zimbabwe came up short.
Gill smacked 130 off 97 balls, hitting 15 fours and a six. Ishan Kishan (50), Shikhar Dhawan (40) and Rahul (30) also contributed with the bat. The breakthrough century for 22-year-old Gill came less than a month after he came agonisingly close, scoring an unbeaten 98 against the West Indies in Port of Spain.
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He shared a 140-run third-wicket partnership with Kishan, who reached his half-century before being run out by Tony Munyonga.
With AFP inputs
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