Shardul Thakur’s 3/38 and Sanju Samson’s fine unbeaten 43, helped India beat Zimbabwe by five wickets in the second ODI in Harare to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Saturday.
The visitors included Shardul Thakur in place of Deepak Chahar, while the hosts on the other hand brought in Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Tanaka Chivanga for Tadiwanashe Marumani and Richard Ngarava respectively.
After being asked to bat first by Indian skipper KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj drew first blood by sending back Takudzwanashe Kaitano (7) to a fine one handed catch by wicket keeper Sanju Samson.
Shardul Thakur then got into the act by dismissing both Innocent Kaia (16) and skipper Regis Chakabva (2) cheaply.
The hosts were in further trouble when Wesley Madhevere (2) edged at a delivery from Prasidh Krishna to Samson behind the stumps.
The pair of Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams anchored the innings with a solid 41 run stand for the fifth wicket before the former fell to a fine well judged catch by Ishan Kishan at backward point off Kuldeep Yadav for 16.
Williams was involved in yet another valuable sixth wicket stand of 33 runs along side Ryan Burl before the former mistimed a slog sweep off Deepak Hooda to Dhawan at deep backward square leg for a run a ball 42.
Brad Evans then chopped at a Axar Patel delivery onto the stumps for 9. The final two wickets fell to run outs as Burl was left stranded on unbeaten 39 off 47 balls.
The hosts were eventually bowled out for 161 in 38.1 overs.
Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/38.
Chasing 162, The Men in Blue started disastrously by losing KL Rahul leg before wicket by Victor Nyauchi for 1.
Shikhar Dhawan along with Shubman Gill added 42 runs for the second wicket before the former ended up skying an attempted pull to Kaia off Tanaka Chivanga for a 21 ball-33.
Ishan Kishan fell cheaply, chopping at a fuller delivery from Luke Jongwe onto his stumps for 6.
Jongwe then struck again by dismissing the well set Gill caught at deep third man leaving India in a spot of bother at 97/4.
However the pair of Deepak Hooda alongside Sanju Samson brought India back into the contest with a on 56 run stand for the fifth wicket before the former was bowled by a slow yorker by Sikandar Raza for 25.
Samson finished the game in style by smashing Innocent Kaia for a maximum as reached the target of 162 in just 25.4 overs.
Samson was declared the Man of the Match.