Eyes of India series win over Zimbabwe: Can Abhishek Sharma break his lean run? |cricket news
The Zimbabwe series could be just the ideal kick-start India need after their T20 side suffered a heavy defeat during the tour of England.After seven games without a win, India finally registered their first win under new T20 captain Shreyas Iyer and will look to take an undisputed 2-0 lead against Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.India endured a tough outing, being beaten by Ireland (0-2) and England (0-4), but restored some much-needed confidence with a convincing seven-wicket win in the series opener.However, while the visitors will look to continue the momentum, one player who will be under the scanner is explosive opener Abhishek Sharma.Abhishek announced himself on the international stage two years ago with a stunning maiden T20I hundred in his second game in Harare.The stylish left-hander is back on the same soil looking for a spark after a worrying dip in form. In the England series, Abhishek started with scores of 59 and 43, followed by scores of 10, 16, 3 and 1. His uncomfortable eight-for-1 in Thursday’s opener showed a lack of rhythm and confidence from the batsmen.As competition for spots intensified, Abhishek knew he needed to run. Senior opener Sanju Samson, despite missing the tour, is still in the selectors’ plans and has been named in India’s squad for the Asian Games later this year. A big score in Harare would not only help India seal the series but also bolster Abhishek’s credentials in the fast-evolving T20 landscape.However, Team India found a new hero in the opening match.Teenager star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored a stunning 18-ball fifty and became the youngest T20I scorer to score a half-century.The 15-year-old endured a difficult tour of England, with fast bowlers such as Jofra Archer testing him mercilessly with short-pitched bowling, but he responded in style against Zimbabwe.He fearlessly took on Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani and produced a brilliant innings that underlined why he is rated so highly.Backed by Ishan Kishan’s brisk 35 and captain Iyer’s unbeaten 28, Sooryavanshi ensured that India chased the target by over six overs.Head coach VVS Laxman will also be pleased with the performance of India’s improved pace attack. The biggest positive is the return of Mayank Yadav, who has been impressive after two injury-plagued years. Delhi soon finished with figures of 2 for 18 and the pace remained constant as he drove a 150km/h drive to Brian Bennett.Prince Yadav also showed signs of improvement after a grueling tour of England, while debutant Ashok Sharma showed enough promise to suggest he can be another exciting fast bowling option.
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