Team India kind of finally got back to winning, with a fairly comfortable seven-wicket win against Zimbabwe in the first T20I at Harare Sports Club. That result also meant Shreyas Iyer got his first T20I win as India’s captain and the visitors took a 1-0 lead in that three match series, which was huge.

 

While young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi grabbed all the limelight with a record breaking half-century, it was actually fast bowler Mayank Yadav who ended up being named Player of the Match. His bowling spell was one of those rare proper impacts.

 

Mayank Yadav: proper comeback mode

 

This was Mayank’s first international game after coming back from injury, and he didn’t waste time. The right arm fast bowler struck with the very first ball of the match, like immediate pressure, straight away, no messing.

 

With pace and that little extra bounce, Mayank kept troubling the Zimbabwe batters throughout his spell. In the end he picked up two wickets while conceding runs at an economy of just 4.50. His disciplined bowling meant Zimbabwe could not really form partnerships and the home side stayed under pressure for most parts.

 

Also, Prince Yadav made a strong showing, finishing with 2/19 in his four overs. Debutant Ashok Sharma bowled with decent control but he couldn’t grab a wicket, and then Shivam Dube and Ravi Bishnoi too did their bit, as India managed to restrict Zimbabwe to a below par total of 125.

 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks yet another mark

 

India’s chase was 126. They lost Abhishek Sharma early, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi quickly took charge. From the start, he attacked the Zimbabwe bowlers, and he hammered a brilliant 50 off only 19 balls, which included four fours, plus four sixes.

 

That fearless innings helped India move toward the target fast. And with this knock, Vaibhav became the youngest batter to reach a T20I half-century in international cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s earlier record.

 

Ishan Kishan backed him up with a well made 35, while captain Shreyas Iyer stayed not out on 28 to finish the chase. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten too, as India got to 126/3 in just 13.2 overs, winning by seven wickets, and there were 40 balls still left, which is frankly a lot.

 

Also Read | Shreyas Iyer Finally Breaks Unwanted T20I Captaincy Record in IND vs ZIM 1st T20I

 

Mayank happy after match-winning work

 

Even though Vaibhav’s record innings got plenty of praise, the match award went to Mayank Yadav, mainly because of that brilliant new-ball spell.

 

After receiving the Player of the Match award, Mayank said he enjoyed bowling on the Harare pitch and was happy to contribute to India’s win.

 

Mayank Yadav said at the presentation ceremony:

 

“It feels great to contribute to the country in a win. It's a special moment for me. I was enjoying bowling on this wicket after playing in India. The bounce I was getting today, and I was getting seam movement off the wicket as well. Their spells helped to keep them to under 130.”

 

This win also ended India’s tough phase in T20Is, after back-to-back series defeats against Ireland and England. Now with confidence back inside the dressing room, Shreyas Iyer ’s side will want to keep that winning momentum going in the second T20I, and try to seal the series early.