India thump Zimbabwe to revive T20 World Cup title defence
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CHENNAI, India, Feb 26 : A rampant India piled up a record total and handed Zimbabwe a 72‑run shellacking in a Super Eight contest on Thursday to revive their Twenty20 World Cup title defence.
Sent in, the hosts blasted 256‑4, the tournament's highest score this year, after Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya smoked blistering half‑centuries.
It rained 17 sixes and as many fours at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium as India's top order feasted on a modest Zimbabwean attack made even blunter by their sloppy catching.
Left with a mountain to climb, Zimbabwe managed 184-6. Brian Bennett hit an unbeaten 97 but it was not enough to prevent their elimination from the tournament.
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India and West Indies will clash in a virtual quarter-final in Kolkata on Sunday.
"The contribution from all the batters...it was heartening to see," India captain Suryakumar Yadav said.
"We could have been a little bit more clinical with the ball but it's fine. At the end of the day, a win is a win."
India's title defence was on shaky ground since their Super Eights defeat to South Africa, who lead Group One after beating West Indies earlier on Thursday.
India began brightly as Sanju Samson (24) pressed his case on return and Abhishek sought a return to form.
Samson could not kick on, but Abhishek, who began the tournament with three ducks in a row, tore into Zimbabwe as India cruised to 80-1 after the six-over powerplay.
Zimbabwe's woes deepened when Tashinga Musekiwa shelled Ishan Kishan, the tournament's most prolific India batter, on 26.
Kishan (38) could not cash in, falling to Sikander Raza's spin, but Abhishek (55) sped to a 26-ball fifty before Tinotenda Maposa's change of pace undid him.
Suryakumar, dropped on eight, departed after milking 33 off 13 balls but there was no respite for Zimbabwe.
Pandya (50) and Tilak Varma (44) stitched an unbroken 84 off 31 deliveries to effectively bat Zimbabwe out of the contest.
Zimbabwe escaped their powerplay unscathed after Tadiwanashe Marumani (20) was dropped in the deep but the opener fell to Axar Patel in the spinner's first over.
Bennett raced to a 34-ball fifty but Arshdeep Singh (3-24) removed Raza (31) and Ryan Burl in the same over to put India on course for victory.
"We could have executed our defensive plans better as well and we gave too many runs away," Zimbabwe captain Raza said.
"Once the train goes, it is hard to get back. We could have restricted them to 210 or 220."
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