In the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club, team India defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets thanks to some excellent bowling. After Shardul Thakur‘s three-for, Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson put up a 56-run partnership that helped India defeat the hosts in the 14th straight one-day international and take a dominating 2-0 lead. 

Samson, who received his first Man of the Match honour in international cricket, received a large amount of crowd support from the Indian supporters at the Harare stadium. The ‘Sanju, Sanju’ chants from the crowd were in anticipation of him hitting a six to end the game, which the wicketkeeper-batter dutifully did. The Rajasthan Royals, Samson’s IPL team, posted a video of the game’s closing seconds and the six.

Watch the video here:

India chose to bowl after winning the toss earlier in the day. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna delivered a tight opening session for the visitors to get things going. The openers were repeatedly put to the test throughout the first eight over, which saw only 20 runs scored. Mohammed Siraj eventually gave Takudzwanashe Kaitando an outside edge, which Sanju Samson expertly held by doveing to the right. When Wesley Madhevere was caught by Prasidh in the following over, Zimbabwe then lost their fourth wicket.

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Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams put together a 41-run stand to break the slump before Sikandar Raza was bowled by Kuldeep Yadav. Ryan Burl’s 39 from the lower order helped to raise the score past 150 despite wickets tumbling at the other end. After losing their final three wickets in a span of 13 balls, Zimbabwe collapsed for a score of 161.

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After India’s skipper KL Rahul was dismissed by Victor Nyauchi for LBW in the second over, the team didn’t get off to the best start in the chase. Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill, the half-centurions from the first game, then took the lead in the pursuit. Then, Gill and Ishan Kishan partnered for 36 runs until they were both bowled out one after the other.

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India gained pace from 97/4 thanks to a quick-fire 56-run stand between Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson. With victory in sight, Sikandar Raza struck Hooda with a yorker to send him back to the pavilion, and Samson finished the chase by hitting a six.