India vs Zimbabwe 3rd T20I Full Commentary

We are back for the chase! The Indian players are posing for a team photo before they take the field. Brian Bennett and Ben Curran are the two openers for Zimbabwe. Mayank Yadav will start proceedings with the ball. Here we go...

…THE RUN CHASE…

Can Zimbabwe pull off the chase? Zimbabwe now need 193 to end the series on a positive note, and it will take a collective batting effort to get the job done. Can the Chevrons pull off the chase, or will India defend the total and complete a series whitewash? We'll find out shortly. Stay with us for the second innings.

A quick word - Brad Evans says he was disappointed with his first over but feels he improved as his spell progressed. He mentions that with the way India's batters play, such moments are bound to happen, but adds that Zimbabwe were keen to finish the innings on a stronger note. Speaking about his stunning catch to dismiss Vaibhav Suryavanshi, he acknowledges that the youngster is a big player who is expected to achieve amazing things in his career. However, he admits he was extra determined to prevent Suryavanshi from scoring his maiden hundred against Zimbabwe, which is why he gave everything to complete the full-length dive and take the catch. Evans describes himself as an emotional player who always gives everything on the field. He says he prefers to walk off knowing he has given his all, even if things do not go his way, and promises to continue putting everything into his performances whenever he steps onto the field. On the effectiveness of pace-off deliveries, he says it has taken three games for the batters to find their best ways of scoring on the used surface. He highlights India's world-class batting line-up and says the challenge has been enjoyable, with quality batters continuing to come at Zimbabwe one after another.

A strong finish with the ball - Zimbabwe made a promising start with the ball, dismissing Abhishek Sharma cheaply, but they struggled to contain India's scoring through the middle overs as the visitors steadily built a commanding total. A disciplined effort at the death helped the Chevrons pull things back, restricting India to 193 and keeping the chase within reach. Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, and Wessly Madhevere all chipped in with wickets, with Muzarabani emerging as the standout performer.

Sooryavanshi shines on the big stage - An outstanding batting performance from the Men in Blue saw them post a formidable 192/5 in their 20 overs on a sluggish Harare surface. After electing to bat first, India suffered an early setback with the dismissal of Abhishek Sharma, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan steadied the innings with a composed 75-run partnership. Following Kishan's departure, Shreyas Iyer kept the momentum going, adding another crucial 50-run stand with Sooryavanshi. The young opener was the standout performer, producing a scintillating 81 off the bat, laced with eight fours and four sixes. Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma then provided the late flourish, ensuring India finished on a commanding 192/5 and crossed the 190-run mark.

Just 7 runs off the 19th over. Brad Evans will bowl the final over of the innings. He will look to carry on the good work and keep the Men in Blue under 190.

Zimbabwe have done well in the last few overs by picking wickets and controlling the flow of runs. Blessing Muzarabani (3-0-26-1) will bowl the penultimate over for the home side.

Brad Evans gets the Indian skipper. Rinku Singh joins Tilak Varma at the crease.

That's all from Harare - And that is a wrap on this game and the series, with India completing a comprehensive clean sweep over Zimbabwe. The celebrations are in full swing now, as the Indian skipper, Shreyas Iyer is handed the trophy before joining his teammates to lift it together and pose for photographs behind the Winners banner. The hosts now have a brief break before returning to Harare to take on Australia in a three-match ODI series, with the opening game coming up on 15th September. India, meanwhile, turn their attention to the longest format as they travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series, with the first Test set to get underway in Galle on 15th August. There is, of course, plenty more cricket to keep you company, with the first Test between West Indies and Pakistan currently underway. You can simply switch tabs and join us for our coverage of that contest as well. For now, that's all from us. Until next time, cheers and goodbye!

Keep raising the standards - The victorious skipper of India, Shreyas Iyer, says the biggest takeaway from the series is the fearless approach shown by the young players, highlighting the tremendous energy and intent they have brought to the field. He describes the clinical 3-0 win as a special feeling and points out that, despite his experience, many of these youngsters have already played around 55-60 games and gained valuable exposure through the IPL. Iyer adds that his focus as captain is to keep the players comfortable and get the best out of them, while also enjoying seeing individuals step up, take responsibility and win games for the team. Iyer feels they have created good momentum, although he knows the road ahead will be challenging. He says the key message to the players is to keep raising the standards with every game rather than focusing solely on results. He wants the team to give its best regardless of the situation and ensure they continue to see the team through.

Emergence of young players - Before his interview, the captain of Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza, is being honoured for becoming Zimbabwe's most-capped player across all formats. He credits Zimbabwe Cricket for hosting the series and says the team needs to play more matches against top sides. Raza highlights the positives from the series, particularly the emergence of young players such as Newman Nyamhuri, and says the team hopes to use this cycle to continue improving. Raza also admits he needs to contribute more with the bat and jokes that he needs to score some runs and 'buy his team some runs'. However, he is pleased that they have continued to perform well despite his lack of contributions and hopes his runs can make the team's performances even better.

Ryan Burl and Brian Bennett are being presented with commemorative mementos for reaching the milestone of 2000 T20I runs for Zimbabwe.

PLAYER OF THE SERIES - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wins the award for scoring 151 runs in 3 games with a strike rate of 196.10. He is also the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his outstanding knock of 81 off 49. Vaibhav says the preparation in Zimbabwe has been really good and that he feels comfortable playing there, having also featured in the U19 World Cup in the country. He credits the support from the coach and captain and adds that he tried to play his usual T20 game, aiming to give the team a strong start before building a long innings if he got set. On his best attributes, he says he tries to replicate in matches what he does during practice. He describes the experience as a dream come true, especially after picking up his first Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards for his country.

Presentation Time...

Men in Blue cruise to victory - India will be pretty happy with their bowling effort, though their fielding left plenty to be desired after they put down a few chances. It did not cost them this time, but it is an area that needs improvement going forward. Mayank Yadav set the tone with a first-ball wicket and returned to wrap things up with a three-wicket haul, while Yash Thakur pushed Zimbabwe further onto the back foot with a two-wicket over. Ravi Bishnoi was at his miserly best with 1/24, while Ashok Sharma finally got his moment by claiming his maiden T20I wicket, as the Men in Blue wrapped up the job with ease.

Ravi Bishnoi reflects on his series - Bishnoi says he worked hard on his bowling, and the efforts paid off during this series. He credits the coaches for helping him improve in specific areas, which worked in his favour. He adds that the ball tends to skid and stay a bit low in Zimbabwe, conditions that suited his bowling. He concludes by saying that the big grounds in Zimbabwe also played a role in helping the bowlers perform well.

Young Sooryavanshi leads the charge - Earlier in the game, India posted a commanding total, powered by a brilliant 81 off 49 from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer chipped in with valuable knocks, before Rinku Singh provided the late fireworks with a quickfire 25 off just 14 balls. It was another challenging outing for the Zimbabwe bowlers, with Blessing Muzarabani once again standing out with 1/33. Brad Evans picked up a couple, while Sikandar Raza and Wessly Madhevere took one apiece, though the bowlers proved expensive. They did manage to pull things back slightly during the death overs, but it was still a big total to chase.

Zimbabwe run out of gas - Despite losing three wickets in the Powerplay, a familiar pattern for Zimbabwe in this series, the hosts scored at a brisk rate to reach 53/3, with Ben Curran and Dion Myers doing most of the damage. Ryan Burl and Wessly Madhevere then kept the chase alive with a 60-run stand, but Madhevere's dismissal at the wrong time left Burl with too much to do. The left-hander battled on to an unbeaten 54, but the target ultimately proved beyond Zimbabwe's reach.

A perfect series for India - India have completed the whitewash with another impressive performance at Harare Sports Club. The scoreline reads 3-0, leaving Shreyas Iyer a delighted skipper as his side have underlined their quality and shown why they remain the No. 1 ranked T20I team and the reigning World Champions. Zimbabwe have produced some excellent results in the format recently, but they have been second best throughout this series against a dominant Indian side.

Newman Nyamhuri to face the last ball of the match.

That's the 20th extra of the innings.

Mayank Yadav will bowl the final over. Also, India have been handed a penalty for a slow over rate. They will have to keep an extra fielder inside the circle.

Yash Thakur to bowl the penultimate over.