India vs Zimbabwe - Quick flicks of the match

India beat Zimbabwe in their final World Cup group game

Ashwin’s most expensive figures

Ravichandran Ashwin, who has surprised all and sundry with his guile and flight was in for a rude shock today. The off-spinner from Tamil Nadu recorded his worst figures in one-day cricket as he went for 75 runs in his ten overs, picking up the solitary wicket of Sean Williams. All the batsmen played Ashwin without breaking a sweat, often playing with the turn.

The top-spin shot from Ervine

It’s not only tennis players who can run their racket over the ball and produce the top-spinning shot. Off the first ball of the 44^th over, Craig Ervine shimmied down the track and tried hitting Mohit Sharma down the ground. The wily pacer from Haryana delivered a well disguised slower ball, as Ervine was left thinking whether to attack or defend. In that moment of confusion, he played a tennis back-hand shot, closing the face of the bat, and the ball top-edged up in the air – only to land in Mohit’s hands after a few moments.

The throw to another galaxy

Right after MS Dhoni brought up his fifty in the 43rd over, Suresh Raina came on-strike to face the penultimate delivery of Tawanda Mupariwa’s over. He nudged one to midwicket and took off for a single. The fielder there, Regis Chakabva picked up the ball and threw it towards the keeper. But his nervous energy was hard to miss, as under pressure, he over threw the ball by a mile. It went over Brendon Taylor’s head and landed at the feet of Sean Williams, who was standing somewhere near backward point. Williams’ expression of bewilderment was worth a thousand words.

India’s highest chase in a World Cup match

India undertook their highest ever run chase in a World Cup game, by chasing down Zimbabwe’s 287. The previous record of the highest chase by an Indian team rested with MS Dhoni’s boys of 2011, when they scored 277 to win the coveted trophy in Mumbai on 2^nd April. The chasing was quite well-timed, as India look to take control of the knock-out games.