India beat Zimbabwe to keep title defence alive

T20 World Cup, Super 8 Group 1, Chennai

India 256-4 (20 overs): Sharma 55 (30); Hardik 50* (23)

Zimbabwe 184-6 (20 overs): Bennett 97* (59); Singh 3-24

India won by 72 runs

Defending champions India kept their T20 World Cup semi-final hopes alive and eliminated opponents Zimbabwe with a 72-run victory in Chennai.

Having previously gone unbeaten in the group stage, Zimbabwe leaked more than 250 runs for the second consecutive match in the Super 8s as India piled on 256-4.

It is the second highest total in T20 World Cup history behind Sri Lanka’s 260-6 against Kenya in the inaugural event in 2007.

Opener Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 55 off 30 balls, including four fours and four sixes, all-rounder Hardik Pandya completed a 23-ball half-century with a six off the final delivery of the innings, and Tilak Varma flashed an unbeaten 44 from 16.

Chasing 257, Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett showcased his talent, registering his third unbeaten half-century of the tournament with 97 from 59 balls.

The 22-year-old, whose fifty came off 34 balls, struck eight fours and six sixes but lacked support, with Sikandar Raza’s 31 (21) the next highest score.

Now level on two points with West Indies, India know victory over the two-time champions in Kolkata on Sunday will secure their spot in the last four.

India had enjoyed a relatively comfortable passage through the initial group stage, winning all four of their matches and twice passing 190 with the bat, but had their wings clipped by South Africa in their Super 8 opener.

Chasing 187, they were bowled out for 111 – a result which left them in near must-win territory as they headed to Chennai.

Zimbabwe captain Raza, whose side were in a similar position, said at the toss it would “come down to a battle of nerves”. India showed none as they bludgeoned their highest total at a T20 World Cup and passed 250 in a men’s T20 international for the fifth time.

Sharma, who came into the match under pressure having registered three ducks in his past four innings, set the tone with a 26-ball half-century.

Initially content to play second fiddle to Sanju Samson, who struck the second ball of the match for six and made a quickfire 24 from 15 deliveries, he led India to 80-1 at the end of the powerplay, striking three fours and three sixes.

His second-wicket partnership with Ishan Kishan (38) was worth 72 runs and although Kishan could not capitalise on Tashinga Musekiwa dropping him on 26, Suryakumar Yadav punished Zimbabwe’s sloppy fielding. Dropped on eight by Blessing Muzarabani, the India skipper thrashed 33 from 13 deliveries.

It was Zimbabwe’s fifth drop from 15 attempts in the Super 8s. In the group stage, during which they were unbeaten, they had a catching efficiency of 95.2% and dropped just one.

Though Suryakumar was striking above 250, his departure flicked a switch for India, with Hardik and Varma piling on 84 runs in the final 5.1 overs, including seven sixes. Hardik accelerated from 12 from eight balls to 50 not out from 23, while Varma found the boundary seven times in 16 deliveries.