India defeated Zimbabwe by 35 runs in the third and final T20I to register a 3-0 clean sweep at Harare Sports Club on Sunday (July 26).
Opting to bat first, the visitors posted a formidable 192/5 on the board, courtesy of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's explosive 81-run knock off 49 balls.
During the chase, Ryan Burl scored an unbeaten fifty (54) but lacked support from the other end as the hosts were restricted to 157/7 in 20 overs.
This result marked India’s first T20I series win under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer after a recent tough assignment in the UK.
Despite India’s dominating performance, former cricketer Wasim Jaffer identified fielding as a major concern for the Men in Blue. During the Zimbabwe series, India grabbed 18 catches but dropped 10 with five coming in the third T20I alone.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer warned that while dropped chances didn’t prove costly against Zimbabwe, such lapses can make big difference against stronger opponents.
“You know, the fielding was a bit disappointing. We dropped quite a few catches and gave away some very easy chances. That's one area where the team needs to improve. We saw the same thing during the England series as well, where we missed several opportunities and dropped catches. Those mistakes proved costly there. Here, obviously, they didn't hurt India as much, but against stronger teams, these are the things that make the difference. So I think fielding is one department where the Indian team needs to tighten up,” Jaffer said.
Jaffer also showered rich praise on pacer Mayank Yadav, who claimed five wickets in three T20Is at an economy rate of 6.54.
While acknowledging Mayank’s lethal, raw pace and solid bowling mechanics, Jaffer emphasized that managing workloads and staying injury-free remains the young speedster's ultimate test.
“I mean, the biggest challenge for him (Mayank Yadav) isn't really his skill or his bowling. None of us have too many question marks over that. The main concern has always been his fitness, how fit he can stay, how often he's available, and whether he can play consistently. So far, we haven't seen that. But I hope that from here on, whenever India plays the T20I series, he's available,” Jaffer stated.
“Whether he gets selected or not is a different matter, but he himself should make sure that he stays fit and remains available. We've already seen what he can do with the ball. Whenever he's been fit and has bowled at his pace, he's looked very impressive. He has a really good action and genuine speed. But the real challenge for him is his fitness,” he further remarked.
