India won but I will give credit to Zimbabwe for putting up a fight. India were a strong side but Zimbabwe, with nothing to lose, came up with an encouraging show. Never mind if they ended the tournament with just one victory but there is hope that the team can make progress in the near future. Zimbabwe will no longer enjoy the services of Brendan Taylor. It was his last innings for his country since he has decided to move to England. It was a decision that Taylor would know best and I would like to wish him well as he looks for better opportunities.
The innings that Taylor played was one of the finest I have seen from a Zimbabwe batsman. He likes to bat with aggression and he backs his instincts. The ease with which he played his shots, the reverse sweep included, showed that he was in excellent form. It was not an important match for Zimbabwe. Their fate had already been decided. But India had at stake the reputation of not having lost a match in this tournament. Six wins out of six matches was not a possibility many had expected. India, however, played to their potential and finished the league stage in style.
The victory was a good preparation for India ahead of the quarterfinal. The fact that Zimbabwe gave them some anxious moments and shook the Indians was good for the team. It also put the bowlers under some pressure. This experience should help the Indian team when they come across a similar situation again.
The seamers once again did well but the spinners were in for a shock treatment. Ravichandran Ashwin conceded 75 runs and Ravindra Jadeja 71. There must be some worry regarding the Indian spinners for they have looked in top form in the previous matches. Ashwin and Jadeja must have picked up useful lessons because they have stiffer battles ahead. When Taylor attacked them they had little clue and I hope the spinners don’t lose their confidence. I know the duo can come back strongly but they need to be careful when they take the field in the quarterfinal.
I am very pleased for Suresh Raina. He adds quality to the batting depth and can swing the game on his own. The century should do a world of good to his confidence and Dhoni was calm as ever. It was important that these two got runs and they did for a winning cause. Of course, the catch that Hamilton Masakadza dropped of Raina hurt Zimbabwe. It was an easy catch and ought to have been taken.
I am a little concerned about Rohit Sharma though. He’s got to be careful with his shot selection. Virat Kohli looked in excellent touch and I have no doubt his form is going to be very crucial to India’s plan in the knockout stage. Of course, the Indian batsmen will have to watch out because there can be no comebacks from now if they falter.