Zimbabwe beat India by 13 runs at Harare to go one-up in the five-match T20I series. While Zimbabwe outplayed India comprehensively, Washington Sundar’s decisions in the last over played a small role in their triumph.
Having not qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe stunned India by 13 runs at Harare a week after the latter lifted the trophy at Bridgetown. Late hits from Clive Madande (29 not out in 25 balls) took Zimbabwe to 115-9 as Ravi Bishnoi claimed 4-13 and Washington Sundar 2-11.
In response, India slid to 22-4 and, at the fall of new captain Shubman Gill’s wicket, 61-7. At 86-9, they seemed to be headed for a massive defeat, but Washington (27 in 34) kept the fight on. When Tendai Chatara ran in to bowl the last over, India needed 16 – exactly what they had defended against South Africa in the World Cup final.
Washington under-edged the first ball. He turned the second towards the fine-leg fence, but a brilliant effort from Blessing Muzarabani restricted India to two runs.
Then came the first curious call. With 14 to score in four balls, Washington slammed the next ball towards cover-point, where Jonathan Campbell pulled off an excellent save. Yet, Washington did not run.
One can understand not exposing No.11 Khaleel Ahmed. Across 109 T20s, Khaleel had got out seven times in 29 balls, and had never scored four in an innings, let alone hit one. He sprinted towards the striker’s end, but Washington sent him back. Had Washington responded, India would almost certainly have got two runs.
Washington hit the next ball to long off. This left him with three options.
He could have risked a second run. While this was improbable, misfields do happen. Had one of the batters (Khaleel, perhaps, for he was closer to the fielder) had been run out, India would have lost, but there was a chance of them bringing the equation to 12 off two, with Washington on strike.
He could have run a single. This would have brought the target to 13 off two. It was unfair to expect Khaleel to hit two sixes to tie the match (he had only hit two across seven years and 248 balls of batting in professional cricket), but there would still have been a chance.
Instead, he settled for the third option, of not running – effectively killing the match with two balls to spare. India still needed 14, meaning even two sixes wouldn't have tied the game.
All Zimbabwe needed was two legal deliveries. It took just one, as Washington was caught.
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