In a two-pace field, India made four changes to their team, with T20 World Cup winners Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson returning to the team. Jaiswal and Gill had an opening stand of 67 runs before Zimbabwe imposed a slowdown in the middle overs. Gill and Gaikwad joined forces for a 44-ball 72-run stand for the third wicket, ensuring India surpassed 180. They were also helped by the fact that Zimbabwe's fielding was absolutely sloppy and dropped multiple catches.
Choosing to bat first, Jaiswal got India off to a good start as Jaiswal spun, hit and bowled Brian Bennet for a six and two fours in a 15-run opening.
Gill got off the mark with a great flick of the wrist going for four against Richard Ngarava, before bowling it and driving it for six and four respectively, as the second over yielded 14 runs.
The runs continued to flow for India, especially with Zimbabwe's fielding being pedestrian, as Jaiswal got Tendai Chatara for a four and a six respectively, before Gill struck and got an outside edge off Blessing Muzarabani for two fours in the fourth over. .
After India crossed 50 runs in 4.1 overs, Zimbabwe imposed a slowdown and almost got Jaiswal out, but Marumani at sweeper cover failed to convert Chatara's chance, which went for four. Jaiswal finally fell for 36 in the ninth over when he prepared to play a reverse sweep off Sikandar Raza but ended up trapping a backward point.
Raza struck again when Abhishek Sharma struggled but holed deep to mid-wicket in the 11th over. Gill came down the field twice to reach boundaries, before taking an outside edge off Chatara's cut for four to get his fifty off 36 balls.
From the other end, Gaikwad broke loose with a six and two fours in his first 10 balls. The duo hit six each off Raza's over-pitched balls in the 17th over, before Gill mis-lofted a mid-on off Muzarabani in the next over.
Gaikwad sent Ngarava's full tosses towards boundaries, before ducking to deep cover in the final over. It took a boundary off the last ball from Sanju Samson to take India past the 180 mark, as they remained unbeaten on 12.
Brief scores:
India 182/4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 66, Ruturaj Gaikwad 49; Sikandar Raza 2-24, Blessing Muzarabani 2-25) against Zimbabwe
Choosing to bat first, Jaiswal got India off to a good start as Jaiswal spun, hit and bowled Brian Bennet for a six and two fours in a 15-run opening.
Gill got off the mark with a great flick of the wrist going for four against Richard Ngarava, before bowling it and driving it for six and four respectively, as the second over yielded 14 runs.
The runs continued to flow for India, especially with Zimbabwe's fielding being pedestrian, as Jaiswal got Tendai Chatara for a four and a six respectively, before Gill struck and got an outside edge off Blessing Muzarabani for two fours in the fourth over. .
After India crossed 50 runs in 4.1 overs, Zimbabwe imposed a slowdown and almost got Jaiswal out, but Marumani at sweeper cover failed to convert Chatara's chance, which went for four. Jaiswal finally fell for 36 in the ninth over when he prepared to play a reverse sweep off Sikandar Raza but ended up trapping a backward point.
Raza struck again when Abhishek Sharma struggled but holed deep to mid-wicket in the 11th over. Gill came down the field twice to reach boundaries, before taking an outside edge off Chatara's cut for four to get his fifty off 36 balls.
From the other end, Gaikwad broke loose with a six and two fours in his first 10 balls. The duo hit six each off Raza's over-pitched balls in the 17th over, before Gill mis-lofted a mid-on off Muzarabani in the next over.
Gaikwad sent Ngarava's full tosses towards boundaries, before ducking to deep cover in the final over. It took a boundary off the last ball from Sanju Samson to take India past the 180 mark, as they remained unbeaten on 12.
Brief scores:
India 182/4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 66, Ruturaj Gaikwad 49; Sikandar Raza 2-24, Blessing Muzarabani 2-25) against Zimbabwe
