A maiden century from Kedar Jadhav helped India complete a clean-sweep of the three-match One-Day International series in Zimbabwe with an 83-run victory at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
- Scorecard
Sent in to bat, India made a cautious start before Jadhav blazed an unbeaten 105 from 87 balls to propel the tourists to 276 for five in their 50 overs.
The home side lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 193 in the 43rd over.
India looked in trouble when they slumped to 82 for four but Jadhav, batting at number six, at first steadied the innings and then increased the scoring rate with some superb shots.
His highest score in three previous ODI matches was 20, but he found his rhythm in Harare, smashing 12 fours and a six while the other batsmen on both sides found boundaries hard to come by.
Jadhav added 144 for the fifth wicket with debutant Manish Pandey, who played a sparkling innings of 71 from 86 balls.
While Pandey's innings came off 86 deliveries and was studded with four boundaries and a solitary hit over the fence, Jadhav struck 12 fours and a six during his 87-ball quickfire knock.
Apart from the duo, Uthappa (31) was the only other Indian batsman, who tried to consolidate the innings after the early jitters.
Put in to bat, India did not have the best of starts as they lost openers Ajinkya Rahane (15) and Vijay (13) early, with pacer Madziva claiming the two important wickets to leave India reeling at 33 for two in the eighth over.
With the ball doing enough to trouble the batsmen, India found it difficult to score at a quick rate and although Uthappa tried hard, he also failed to accelerate. He was dismissed for a 44-ball 31 did not help the visitors' cause.
Manoj Tiwary struggled as he scored 10 from 33 balls as India's batsmen once again struggled at the start.
But Pandey and Jadhav steadied the innings and played some delightful shots during their stay at the middle.
After Pandey's dismissal, Binny provided able support to Jadhav, hitting two fours and a six during his eight-ball 18-run innings.
Zimbabwe battled from the start of their reply with only opener Chamu Chibhabha offering any sort of resistance as he reached a second half-century in two matches with 82 from 109 balls.
Stuart Binny, who has had a fine series with bat and ball, was the pick of the Indian bowlers and recorded figures of three for 55 from his 10 overs.
Harbhajan Singh, returning to ODI cricket in this series for the first time in four years, bowled tidily again for two for 35 from his 10.
Zimbabwe's chase never got going after the early dismissal of Hamilton Masakadza (7), who fell leg before wicket to Mohit Sharma (2/33) in the sixth over.
Chibhabha and Regis Chakabva (27) then put on a 70-run second wicket stand to keep Zimbabwe afloat before Indian bowlers picked up two wickets in quick succession to derail the hosts' chase.
Chakabva was cleaned up by left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2/39) in the 23rd over before skipper Elton Chigumbura (10) fell leg before wicket to part-time spinner Murali Vijay (1/19).
Wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami (22) and Chibhabha were dismissed in quick succession by Binny.
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan came to the party and picked up two wickets -- Sikander Raza (13) and Graeme Cremer -- in consecutive balls of the final over of his spell.
Binny picked up his third wicket of the day in the next over in the form of Malcolm Waller before Prosper Utseya became Sharma's second victim of the match.
Patel completed the formalities for India, picking up the last wicket of Neville Madziva, who was stumped by Robin Uthappa.
The teams will begin a two-match Twenty20 series on Friday at the same venue.
