Feature

Identified flying objects, and Sran's riposte

Plays of the day from the third T20I between India and Zimbabwe in Harare

Nikhil Kalro
22-Jun-2016
MS Dhoni turned around not only to find his stumps dislodged, but a bail hurtling towards his right eye  •  AFP

MS Dhoni turned around not only to find his stumps dislodged, but a bail hurtling towards his right eye  •  AFP

Eyes on the bail
With India limping through the middle overs of their innings, MS Dhoni took it on himself to push the scoring rate. In the quest for a boundary, he shimmied down to a full delivery from Donald Tiripano in the 17th over, but the lack of pace and slight inward movement to deceived the batsman, deflected off the inside edge and rattled the stumps. The bails went flying, one of which found a way through Dhoni's helmet and strike him near his right eye.
The costly error
With India's innings faltering, a length delivery from Chamu Chibhabha in the 10th over seemed too good to pass up on. Kedar Jadhav went for a flat-batted scythe but picked out extra cover. Zimbabwe's plans were about to bear fruit, India's hopes were about to take a hit and Hamilton Masakadza was set to take a good catch. He stayed low, reverse cupped his hands… but the ball burst through them. Jadhav got the reprieve, and made it count with a match-winning half-century.
Sran loses it, but finds it in time
Barinder Sran was given the final over of India's tour with the series on the line. Zimbabwe had somehow scrambled to 118 for 5, and required 21 to complete their first series win of two or more T20 matches.
His first ball, from around the wicket to Timycen Maruma, was on a length. Slogged over midwicket for six. He switched to over the wicket, and pushed one so wide outside off that it just clipped the edge of the pitch. Wide. He followed that with a misdirected yorker, a high full toss that was slapped over cover for four. Zimbabwe needed nine off five, and Sran was starting to feel the pressure.
How did he respond? Five wide yorkers, executed close to perfection, that helped India to a 2-1 series win.
Slippery start
Fast bowler Tendai Chatara, returning to Zimbabwe's XI, uses his pace variations - legcutters, offcutters and his natural pace - in the early 120 kph range - to flummox batsmen. And he dished them out early on Wednesday. KL Rahul was set up to smash the second ball of the match over midwicket, but the only thing that went flying was his own bat. A legcutter had kept low and Rahul, who was too early into his shot, could not get anything on it.

Nikhil Kalro is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo