SL vs ZIM 2nd ODI, ZIM vs SL 2022

Earlier in the game, Zimbabwe had won the toss and opted to bat first. The openers started off pretty modest with Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera attacking from either end. Both Kautuni and Chakabva were scoring nearly 6 runs per over and could find a few boundaries inside the first powerplay. Soon the partnership was broken when Kautuni was knocked off by Jeffrey Vandersay in the penultimate ball of the first powerplay. Soon the skipper, Craig Ervine joined Chakabva, and both the batters jolted 31 runs together before the wicketkeeper batter found himself in despair of the bowling of Vandersay.  

Zimbabwe registered a 106 runs stand between Craig Ervine and Sean Williams and the Srilankan bowlers were ruthlessly trying to out a halt to the building partnership. The 3rd wicket partnership between these two shifted the game in control of Zimbabwe. Soon in the 33rd over Vandersay struck for the third successive time in the game and got the better of Sean Williams. A few more wickets fell in cluster for a while until Sikander Raza propelled the innings past the 300 runs mark with his special cameo of 56 runs from 46 deliveries. Craig Ervine was unlucky to get dismissed for 91 off Maheesh Theekshana.

303 was the target for Srilanka and the home side didn't start off in the pleasant manner. They lost a couple of wickets including both the openers right inside the first powerplay. Pathum Nissanka looked impressive in his short stay but was wrapped up soon by Blessing Muzarabani. Srilanka lost the majority of their top order within  15 overs including experienced Dinesh Chandimal and young Charith Aslanka.

Soon, the rebuilding phase began and the onus was on the skipper Dasun Shanaka and set batter Kamindu Mendis to dig the innings deep and ooze off the pressure that had been built. Kamindu played the anchors role and Dasun looked to play his natural game a bit watchfully in the start. both the batters geared up slowly and steadily and took calculative risks at certain junctures of the game. Both the batters glued 118 runs together and there was a momentum shift from Zimbabwe's court all of a sudden. But just when the visitors needed a few more wickets, it was Chamika Karunaratne who hold hands with the skipper and countered the Zimbabwean attack by summing 66 runs for the 6th wicket partnership. The skipper went on to secure a mind-boggling century but soon was carried away by a slower delivery from Chatara, who eventually broke the crucial partnership.

Srilanka needed 47 runs in the end from the last four overs and had four wickets in hand and this is when the wickets started to roll. Zimbabwe got a couple of wickets lately after a brilliant display of bowling in the slog overs. Chamika Karunaratne was unlucky enough to get runout while hastening for the second and it came down to 30 runs required from the last five balls with 2 wickets in hand. Cheers to Zimbabwe for a 22 runs victory in the 2nd OdI and for making the series more thrilling as we progress.