RESULT
1st T20I, Harare, June 18, 2016, India tour of Zimbabwe
(20 ov, T:171) 168/6

Zimbabwe won by 2 runs

Player Of The Match
54* (26)
elton-chigumbura
New
IND
Full commentary
end of over 205 runs • 1 wicket
IND: 168/6CRR: 8.40 
MS Dhoni19 (17b 1x4)
Rishi Dhawan1 (2b)
Neville Madziva 4-0-34-1
Donald Tiripano 4-0-35-1

4.55pm That's it from us for today. Sensational game. We'll be back on Monday for the second T20. Till then, loads of sports action from around the world.

Meanwhile on Espn.in, here's what former players and coaches had to say about the Indian hockey team's performance against Australia in the Champions Trophy final last night.

4.35pm If the stands at Harare Sports Club were empty a few days ago, they may not be for the rest of the series. Wild celebration in the crowd as the songs will go on and on all night. Defending 8 off the final over, Madziva executed his plans to perfection and lead Zimbabwe to a 1-0 lead. Zimbabwe defend 170, after India were cruising for 19 overs of that chase. It was Pandey and Dhoni's stand that got India back into it and in control, but Zimbabwe chipped away and eventually just had enough. The discipline was probably lacking through the middle, but certainly not in that last over. That sets it up for the rest of this series.

Elton Chigumbura is the Man of the match: "Good effort from the whole team. Everyone contributed today. This one will give us the confidence to do the same thing again, and improve."

Graeme Cremer: Excellent to come back from the losses in ODI series. A lot of pressure off me. We are not going to stop here. We know Elton can always be dangerous. He is one innings away from doing something special again. today could have gone either way.

MS Dhoni: Ultimately, the contest is between the bat and ball. I felt the last ball was brilliant. we did not play to potential. A lot of wickets were not full-fledged shots, more like catching practice. you may be doing well in the domestic circuit but there is more pressure when you go from India A to India. Good learning curve for them. Lots of errors committed by the batsmen, We were not playing with out first XI in the bowling department. Our lengths were not right."

19.6
1
Madziva to Dhoni, 1 run

straight to deep point. Zimbabwe have won. Full and wide outside off, like how everyone anticipated. Dhoni reaches out for it and can only find the fielder. Exceptional bowling that, what an over. Madziva, despite a bad call in that over, has defended 8. Amazing scenes as the crowd goes wild, Ntini joins in the celebration

Right then, it all comes down to this. 4 off 1. Dhoni on strike. Three inside the leg side. All out on the off side, Dhoni knows where this is going to be

19.5
1
Madziva to R Dhawan, 1 run

full and wide outside off, scythed to third man for a run. Dhoni is happy with the single

19.5
1w
Madziva to R Dhawan, 1 wide

awful decision that. Full and wide outside off, way outside the tramline but Dhawan was way across. He was probably standing on that tramline, could have easily got bat on that. Ump Tiffin. Bad call

19.4
Madziva to R Dhawan, no run

excellent yorker. Dhawan walks across, trying to go over the leg side but the yorker is perfect. Lands on the wide tramline but Dhawan could have reached that. Ends up leaving that alone

Dhawan and Dhoni have a chat. India are one hit away but have only three balls to find that/ Square leg is up. Deep point in place

19.3
1
Madziva to Dhoni, 1 run

yorker outside off, driven to cover. Not much even Dhoni can do about that.

The match right here. Dhoni on strike.

Did Dhoni cross? Course he did.

19.2
W
Madziva to Axar Patel, OUT

gone. Straight to long-off. just to add to the tension and drama. Overpitched outside off, quite a terrible delivery, but Axar just cannot get under that enough. Smashes it straight to long-off. Enough power but not enough elevation

Axar Patel c sub (WP Masakadza) b Madziva 18 (9b 1x4 2x6) SR: 200

Lots of chat between the bowler and captain

19.1
1
Madziva to Dhoni, 1 run

full outside off, hammered with immense power to long-off

Large leg side boundaries would mean twos are on. Dhoni will look at that. Madziva has the ball.

end of over 1913 runs
IND: 163/5CRR: 8.57 RRR: 8.00
Axar Patel18 (8b 1x4 2x6)
MS Dhoni16 (14b 1x4)
Donald Tiripano 4-0-35-1
Taurai Muzarabani 4-0-31-2
18.6
6
Tiripano to Axar Patel, SIX runs

the bowler misses his length and Axar probably finishes the game. Too full on off, in the slot and Axar smashes it straight back over the bowler. Goes over the long-off boundary. Massive hit, what a moment in the game

18.5
2
Tiripano to Axar Patel, 2 runs

slower ball on middle and leg, lofted over midwicket. Long-on gets around to clean up. Big ball comingh up

18.4
Tiripano to Axar Patel, no run

well bowled. The wide yorker outside off, Axar cannot get any bat on that. Another dot, Dhoni has another chat

Wicket, anyone?

18.3
4
Tiripano to Axar Patel, FOUR runs

too predictable that length. Short and wide, Axar slices the ball past point. The fielder scurries across but cannot haul it in

18.2
Tiripano to Axar Patel, no run

a slower delivery outside off, 120 kph. Axar has a slog at it but misses. Dhoni comes down to have a chat with his partner

18.1
1
Tiripano to Dhoni, 1 run

short on off, sits up for Dhoni and he hammers the pull to deep square leg. Ooh, a few feet either side and that would have been four

Massive over this. Make or break. Tiripano will bowl it.

Akshay: "Last time axar and dhoni were on the pitch . well axar would like to forget about it !!"

end of over 188 runs • 1 wicket
IND: 150/5CRR: 8.33 RRR: 10.50
Axar Patel6 (3b 1x6)
MS Dhoni15 (13b 1x4)
Taurai Muzarabani 4-0-31-2
Donald Tiripano 3-0-22-1
17.6
Muzarabani to Axar Patel, no run

dot ball to finish. Poor ball that, full and wide. Axar leans on his drive but picks out cover

17.5
6
Muzarabani to Axar Patel, SIX runs

huge. Absolutely massive. Overpitched on off, right in the slot for Axar who stays in his crease and hammers the ball over long-on. Biff

17.4
Muzarabani to Axar Patel, no run

leg side-ish line on a good length, clipped to midwicket. Good captaincy because the fielder is saving one

17.3
1
Muzarabani to Dhoni, 1 run

good length on off, pushed to long-off. good bowling, not attempting to do too much

17.2
W
Muzarabani to Pandey, OUT

gone. Muzarabani salutes. He has Pandey. Full on off, right in the slot for Pandey's big hit but the number of twos have probably fatigued Pandey who plays a tired shot. Gets to the ball late, in his attempted slog, and the ball squirts off the outside half, skied up for deep cover to come in and take

Manish Pandey c Tiripano b Muzarabani 48 (35b 1x4 3x6) SR: 137.14
17.1
1
Muzarabani to Dhoni, 1 run

full on middle, driven to long-on. Excellent fielding by Wellington Masakadza prevents the second. So much in control are these two that they Dhoni is happy with one

If Zimbabwe don't get a wicket, this match is probably done. Muzarabani.

end of over 1712 runs
IND: 142/4CRR: 8.35 RRR: 9.66
MS Dhoni13 (11b 1x4)
Manish Pandey48 (34b 1x4 3x6)
Donald Tiripano 3-0-22-1
Neville Madziva 3-0-29-0
16.6
1
Tiripano to Dhoni, 1 run

full on middle, pushed to long-on for one. No boundary but a massive over for India.