Awesome threesome
5
The number of occasions when three Indian bowlers managed to claim at least three wickets in the same ODI match. In the recent Harare ODI match on 18 July 2022, Deepak Chahar (3/27), Prasidh Krishna (3/50) and Axar Patel (3/24) achieved this for India. On all these occasions, the bowling side was part of the winning squad.
153
The number of innings taken by Shikhar Dhawan to aggregate 6500 ODI runs. During his unbeaten knock of 81 in the first match in Harare on 18 July 2022, he became the 57th male batter to reach this landmark in ODI cricket. Among these players, Dhawan is now the third quickest to reach this landmark in terms of fewest innings. Only South African Hashim Amla (137) and fellow-indian Virat Kohli (148) have done it quicker. However, in terms of matches, only Amla (140) has done it quicker, with both Kohli and Dhawan doing so in 156 games.
Incidentally, at 36 years and 256 days, Dhawan is the fourth oldest to reach this landmark.
9
The number of occasions India has managed to win an ODI match by successfully chasing a target without the loss of any wicket. This is its second such victory this year. It had defeated England at the Oval on 12 July by a similar margin, which means this is the first time India has won matches by 10 wickets on two occasions in the same year. India has now achieved wins in this manner twice at both venues in Sharjah and Harare.
This is now its third occasion against Zimbabwe after having done so once against East Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Kenya, New Zealand and England.
Incidentally, this is India’s third-highest successful run chase achieved without the loss of a wicket. Also this is the seventh time India has successfully chased a target of 100-plus without losing a wicket in an ODI match.
130
Shubman Gill’s maiden international century for India in the third match in Harare on 22 August 2022 is also now the highest individual ODI score by an Indian player on Zimbabwean soil. The previous highest was the unbeaten 127 by Sachin Tendulkar in Bulawayo on 26 September 1998. Meanwhile, Gill at 22 years, 348 days has become the second youngest Indian to register a three-figure ODI score against Zimbabwe after Mohd. Kaif’s 112 in Colombo RPS on 14 Sep 2002 (Champions Trophy) at the age of 21 years, 287 days.
15
The number of successive victories for India against Zimbabwe in ODI cricket. This unbeaten streak began nine years ago in Harare and continues with the recent three victories at the same venue in this series. The last time Zimbabwe won an ODI match against India was way back in 2010 when it won two successive games in Bulawayo (by 6 wickets on 28 May 2010) and in Harare (by 7 wickets on 3 June 2010) in a tri-series tournament.
17
The number of international match appearances for Deepak Hooda since he made his ODI debut for India on 6 Feb 2022 in Ahmedabad against the West Indies. Since then, he has always been on the winning side. And these number of matches is now a new record for the longest winning streak by a player since his debut in international cricket.