Leg-spinner Amit Mishra notched up a career-best haul (6-48) as India ended their Zimbabwe tour with another convincing victory, in the fifth and final One-Day International in Bulawayo on Saturday, thereby completing a 5-0 series sweep.
Team India thus made history, by recording their first-ever five-match ODI series whitewash on foreign soil.
Mishra's effort helped India bowl out Zimbabwe for a paltry 163 (in just 39.5 overs) having opted to bowl at the Queens Sports Club. The visitors then chased down the small target comfortably with a whopping 16 overs to spare.
The leg-spinner equalled the world record for most wickets in a bilateral ODI series. He took his series tally to 18, equalling the record held by compatriot Javagal Srinath.
India have recorded three 5-0 series wins at home in the past five years - whitewashing England twice and New Zealand once. But, this was their maiden whitewash win in a five-match series away from home.
Ajinkya Rahane, who was playing in his first match of the series, top-scored with a 66-ball 50, his third ODI fifty in his 17th match, with the help of four boundaries and a six. He shared a crucial 71-run partnership for the third wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (48 not out) to lay the foundation for the win.
Jadeja ended the contest in style by hitting a six as India reached 167 for three in 34 overs.
The young Indian side under Virat Kohli, who had come here without a few top players, maintained their domination over the home side and ended the series in emphatic style. This series victory also rectified their disappointing performance in this country in 2010 when they lost all their
two matches in a tri-series.
Opting to bowl in chilly conditions, the Indians had the home team on the mat right from the start and never let them off the hook. Sean Williams (51) was the only Zimbabwean batsman to put up a semblance of fight before the home team's innings folded for a paltry 163.
The collapse started pretty early for Zimbabwe with opener Vusi Sibanda (5) getting caught behind the stumps by Dinesh Karthik off Jaydev Unadkat in the fourth over.
His partner Hamilton Masakadza did stay for a while and raised hopes of anchoring the innings before Ravindra Jadeja rattled his stumps. Masakadza struck a 46-ball 32 which included four boundaries.
Captain Brendan Taylor's poor run in the series continued as he departed for a duck off 11 balls, caught by Suresh Raina at second slip while trying to have a go at Mohit Sharma.
Zimbabwean batsmen's parade back to pavillion continued before Williams tried his bit to stage a fightback. In his 65-ball knock, Williams picked up six boundaries, giving his team-mates a lesson in how to deal with the conditions.
But Mishra brought an end to Williams' stiff resistance when the batsman tried to sweep on one knee but ended up gloving it to the first slip.
Mishra had earlier taken the crucial wicket of all-rounder Elton Chigumbura (17) who failed to replicate his good batting performance from the previous match.
Kyle Jarvis (12 not out) and Natsai Mushangwe (16) did their bit to delay the inevitable but the Indians proved simply unstoppable.
In reply, India were dealt an early blow when opener Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed in the first over of the innings, bowled by Kyle Jarvis for a duck.
But Shikhar Dhawan went after the Zimbabwe bowlers in the early overs, smashing a quickfire 41 from 38 balls. Thereafter, Rahane impressed with a steady innings of 50 in his comeback.
Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images
