India turn the page with emphatic Zimbabwe sweep

Perhaps Ishan Kishan was onto something when he credited "good sleep" and "good food" for India's turnaround in Harare. After a winless seven-match stretch in the UK, their first set of assignments under new captain Shreyas Iyer following the T20 World Cup triumph, India looked a transformed side in Zimbabwe, finding a way on Harare's bouncy pitch against tall, hit-the-deck bowlers to complete a 3-0 sweep and firmly kickstart a new era.

It was fitting that the player who best embodied that turnaround was 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had an underwhelming debut in England. On a dry, used Harare surface expected to play slower than the previous evening, the opener shelved his usual all-out assault for a more measured but no less destructive 81 off 49 balls. He weathered the extra bounce early, ducking bouncers and leaving balls outside off-stump while punishing anything overpitched.

The teenager, who finished as the top run-getter in the series, brought up a 31-ball fifty, and, in the process, became the first player to score multiple fifty-plus scores in men's internationals before turning 16.

India's only early setback after opting to bat came when Blessing Muzarabani dismissed Abhishek Sharma for 2, completing a clean sweep over the left-hander in the three-match series. Sooryavanshi then stitched together a 75-run second-wicket stand with Ishan Kishan, who contributed a fluent 29 off 26 before Sikandar Raza bowled him immediately after the drinks break.

Shreyas Iyer ensured there was no slowdown, striking 27 off 18 in a brisk 50-run partnership with Sooryavanshi, who looked set for a maiden international hundred until Brad Evans sprinted in from long-off to pull off a superb diving catch off Wessly Madhevere.

Zimbabwe clawed things back smartly through their pace-off bowling. Evans dismissed Iyer with another slower ball before ending Rinku Singh's 14-ball 25 off the final delivery but the left-hander still gave India valuable late impetus, including a six that survived a spectacular but unsuccessful juggling effort from Madhevere beyond the boundary as India finished on 192 for 5, a total that already looked above par.

If Sooryavanshi set the game up, India's fast bowlers applied the finishing touches. Mayank Yadav, the only Indian pacer to play in all the three T20Is on this tour, struck with the opening ball of the chase to remove Brian Bennett for the second time in the series. That was before Yash Thakur ripped through the top order, getting Dion Myers to miscue a slower ball, and then off the very next delivery producing a one-handed return catch to dismiss Zimbabwe captain Raza for a golden duck, leaving Zimbabwe reeling at 34 for 3. Ravi Bishnoi then accounted for the struggling Ben Curran, who had earlier survived a straightforward chance spilled by Kishan behind the stumps.

Ryan Burl and Wessly Madhevere briefly hinted at a fightback with a 60-run stand for the fifth wicket. Both rode their luck, with Madhevere dropped by Tilak Varma at cover and Burl surviving a difficult chance that Sooryavanshi could only get fingertips to after a full-length dive. Madhevere made 28 before Mayank broke the partnership while Burl carried on to a 42-ball fifty, his fifth in the format, which was a lone act of resistance in an otherwise one-sided chase.

India were untidy in the field, putting down five catches, their joint-most in a men's T20I, but Zimbabwe lacked the firepower to capitalise. Ashok Sharma made amends for Kishan’s earlier miss behind the stumps by bowling Tadiwanashe Marumani himself, Bishnoi then kept the middle overs tight, and Mayank returned to finish with 3 for 29 as Zimbabwe ended on 157 for 7, providing timely reassurance ahead of the BCCI's review of India's recent white-ball performances.

Brief Scores: India 192/5 (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 81; Brad Evans 2-41) beat Zimbabwe 157/7 (Ryan Burl 54*; Mayank Yadav 3-29) by 35 runs