Staff Writer 
THE Zimbabwe U-19 men’s cricket team suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of India, slipping to a 204-run loss in their ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Super-Six match at Bulawayo Sports Club.
The loss marks another setback for Zimbabwe as they look to regroup ahead of their crucial encounter against Bangladesh on Saturday.
Zimbabwe’s innings got off to a rocky start, losing Nathaniel Hlabangana for a duck in the very first over. This early wicket set the tone for what would be a challenging match.
The pressure mounted quickly, as Henil Patel struck again in the fourth over, dismissing Dhruv Patel for just four runs.
By the end of the first power play, Zimbabwe was reeling at 26 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Despite the early setbacks, Kian Blignaut and Leeroy Chiwaula provided a glimmer of hope with a solid 69-run partnership. Kian Blignaut managed to score 37 runs before being bowled by Khilan Patel.
However, after Blignaut’s dismissal, the innings faltered. Chiwaula, who top-scored with 62 from 64 balls, tried to keep the lower order together but found little support as the team ultimately crumbled, losing their last six wickets for just six runs.
“Our execution could have been much better.
“If we had implemented our plans more effectively in the early overs, we could have taken more wickets and restricted their score.
“The bowlers bowled a bit too full and didn’t adapt well to the conditions. They need to recognise how the pitch was playing and adjust accordingly,” said Zimbabwe captain Simbarashe Mudzengerere.
“The approach needs to change. In our partnership, I encouraged my partner to play aggressively if the deliveries were in his zone.
“We need to play fearless cricket, just like India did. Every bad delivery they received, they punished it.”
Sandra Hove
