Ind vs Zim, 1st ODI: Dhawan, Gill slam half-centuries as India register 13th consecutive win over Zimbabwe

Returning KL Rahul was made to wait by Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill as the second-string side of the Men In Blue registered a 10-wicket win over Regis Chakabva-led Zimbabwe on Thursday. Acing the chase for the Rahul-led side at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe, openers Dhawan and Gill smashed half-centuries to make sure the visitors finish ahead of the hosts in the 1st One Day International (ODI) of the three-match bilateral series.

Dhawan smashed a gritty 81 while Gill shifted gears to remain unbeaten on 82 off 72 balls. With the 10-wicket win over the hosts, Rahul-led Team India has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. While Dhawan and Gill delivered the goods with the willow, pacer Deepak Chahar rattled the Zimbabwe batters with his fiery opening spell. Chahar, who played his first international match since February, emerged as the pick of the bowlers in the recently concluded ODI between the two teams.

Winning the toss and opting to bowl first in the 1st ODI at their hunting ground, Rahul-led Team India bowled out Chakabva's Zimbabwe for a paltry total. Chahar removed Innocent Kaia, T Marumani and Wesley Madhevere as the hosts were reduced to 31-3 in 9.2 overs. Captain Chakabva scored 35 off 51 balls before Brad Evans (33) and Richard Ngarava (32) chipped in with a record ninth-wicket stand of 70 runs in the 1st ODI. Though Zimbabwe batters staged a fightback after suffering a batting collapse, the hosts failed to register a challenging total as Indian opener Dhawan and Gill completed the run-chase in 32 overs.

Indian pacer Chahar was named the Player of the Match for removing Zimbabwe's top 3 batters in the first 11 overs of the innings. "The landing was a little hard and when you play a international game after six and half months, obviously you will be a little nervous. Before coming here I played at least 4-5 practice games and the body and mind wasn't working together in the first few overs, but it got better after that. I'm fine and the body is fine as well," Chahar said after the match.