Jaiswal’s unbeaten 93 helps India clinch T20 series against Zimbabwe

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 93 not out from 53 balls as India beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in the fourth T20 to win the five-match series 3-1 on Saturday.

Jaiswal hit 13 fours and two sixes to set an unbroken opening stand of 156 runs with captain Shubman Gill, who remained unbeaten on 58 off 39 balls.

This was after Zimbabwe were restricted to 152-7 in 20 overs. Skipper Sikandar Raza was the top scorer with 46 runs, while left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed took 2-32.

Zimbabwe had won the first T20 by 13 runs while India had won back-to-back in the second and third games by 100 runs and 23 runs respectively. The fifth game will be played on Sunday.

Zimbabwe started off steadily with openers Wessly Madhevere (25) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (32) scoring 63 runs from 52 balls.

Part-time spinner Abhishek Sharma provided the breakthrough, with India’s second-string attacking line interfering.

Shivam Dube sent Madhevere back and then Brian Bennett was caught by Washington Sundar for 9.

Zimbabwe were 96-4 when Jonathan Campbell was bowled out after a misunderstanding with Raza, with Ravi Bishnoi hitting the stumps.

Raza held the innings together with three sixes and two fours, but the lower batting order did not provide enough support, with the home side barely managing to get past 150.

It was a below-par score on the best batting surface of the series, as evidenced by Jaiswal racing to 50 from 29 balls, hitting nine fours. He scored another 43 from just 24 balls, this time with four more fours and two sixes.

Jaiswal and Gill scored 100 runs off just 58 balls, with Gill scoring his second consecutive half-century off 35 balls.

India came home with 28 balls to spare, with Jaiswal missing out on a second T20 hundred. It was India’s second 10-wicket win in T20s, the first at the same venue against Zimbabwe in 2016.

“I really enjoyed batting there today. I had my plans for the bowlers and I executed them,” said Jaiswal, who was named player of the match. “Initially I wanted to attack and later my aim was to stay till the end.”

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AP Cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket