Images from the fifth and final T20 International between Zimbabwe and India in Harare on Sunday.
Sanju Samson's well-crafted fifty and Mukesh Kumar's disciplined spell helped India wind up their Zimbabwe tour with a comprehensive 42-run victory in the fifth and final T20 International in Harare on Sunday.
After losing the series opener, India bounced back with four straight wins in a row to clinch 4-1.
Samson's stroked a fluent 58 from 45 balls to rally India to 167/6 with Shivam Dube provided the flourish at the end with a quickfire 26 from 12 balls.
The India bowlers led by Mukesh (4/22), Shivam Dube (2/25) and Washington Sundar (1/7) did their job, bundling out Zimbabwe for 125 in 18.3 overs.
After the early dismissal of Wessly Madhevere, who dragged the third ball of the first over by pacer Mukesh onto his stumps, and Brian Bennett, the pair of Tadiwanashe Marumani (27) and Dion Myers (34) added 44 runs for the third wicket to keep the hosts in the hunt.
Marumani's switch-hit four off leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who went for a few runs in this match, was quite stunning in its execution.
But such shots were few and far between from the Zimbabwe batters.
Marumani went for a sweep shot against Washington but missed the line altogether as the ball crashed on to his upper torso to get adjudged as leg-before.
Dube tailed a shuffling Myers with a quicker delivery onto his body, and the Zimbabwe batter merely chipped the ball to Abhishek Sharma at short third man.
The final nail on their hope was the run out of skipper Sikandar Raza (8), which came in a cartwheel of four wickets for nine runs.
Mukesh, who bagged his career-best T20 figure, fittingly ended Zimbabwe innings going through the gate of Richard Ngarava.
Earlier, Samson and Riyan Parag (22 from 24 bals) added 65 runs for the fourth wicket as India recovered from a few early wickets in the Powerplay.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (12), who hit a quickfire 93 in the fourth T20I, started the proceedings with two sixes in the first two balls of the innings, including a no-ball, by Sikandar Raza.
But Raza got revenge in the same over as Jaiswal played the wrong line to a delivery on the middle and leg stump and was bowled.
Abhishek Sharma, who was dropped on 10 by Brian Bennett off Blessing Muzarabani, did not make most of the lifeline as he edged the pacer and was caught behind two balls later.
Skipper Shubman Gill, who received a reprieve on 11, was never in his fluent self on this day and smashed left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava straight into the hands of Raza in the deep.
Samson and Parag's partnership was all about prudence than theatrics, choosing the correct delivery to punish as they steadily got India back on track.
It was the right approach too considering the pitch was not precisely a belter as it was in the previous two matches, offering a hint of turn.
However, Samson showed his aggressive side when the opportunity presented itself.
He biffed leg-spinner Brandon Mavuto for two sixes in a row and the second shot was an outstanding piece of work.
Mavuto angled the ball into Samson's leg-stump, but the right-hander gave himself enough space to carve that over extra cover for a maximum.
Samson brought up his fifty in 39 balls, his second in T20Is, but Parag departed as India were looking for some late acceleration.
The right-hander perished to Mavuto while looking to clear the fence, and Samson too could not carry till the end of the innings.
He wanted to take on Muzarabani, the most impressive among home side bowlers, but ended up giving a catch to a tumbling Tadiwanashe Marumani.
Shivam Dube provided the fireworks at the end as he smashed 26 from 12 balls, with two sixes and as many fours, while Rinku Singh made 11 from nine balls.
