Did Zimbabwe lose because of India’s bowling or because of the pitch? After the seven wicket defeat in the first T20I, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza questioned the Harare pitch, saying it was not up to the required standard and made batting difficult.
Raza believed the moisture in the wicket stayed longer than expected, allowing the new ball to keep moving in the early overs.
He also felt Zimbabwe’s slow start made things even harder, as the ball remained new for longer and continued to trouble the batters.
India’s young pace attack made full use of the conditions. Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav struck early to put Zimbabwe under pressure before Tadiwanashe Marumani and Wessly Madhevere helped the hosts post 125 runs. Despite, India chased the target comfortably to take a 1-0 lead in the three match series.
The Zimbabwe skipper also compared the surface with the one used during the recent ODI series against Bangladesh.
He said wicket became much easier to bat on during India’s innings and hoped the next match would be played on a better surface where the toss would not play such a major role.
Pitch really the biggest reason behind the defeat, or did India’s bowlers simply outplay the hosts on the day?
