Ambati Rayudu impressed with an unbeaten century as an under-strength India claimed a four-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first one-day international in Harare.
Rayudu scored 124 not out as India steadied the ship after losing opener Murali Vijay cheaply before he recorded a sixth-wicket stand of 160 with Stuart Binny (77) as India got some runs on the board.
Donald Tiripano and Chamu Chibhabha each took two Indian wickets before the tourists posted a total of 255 for six off their 50 overs.
STAT ALERT: Elton Chigumbura has become just 2nd Zimbabwean to score back to back 100s in ODIs. Brendan Tayloor had done it twice. #ZimvInd
— Mazher Arshad (@cricket_U) July 10, 2015
In reply, Elton Chigumbura also notched an unbeaten century as the hosts, who won the toss and chose to field, agonisingly fell just five runs short of their victory target.
Binny and Axer Patel claimed two scalps each as Zimbabwe reached 251 for seven to trail 1-0 in the three-match series.
Stand-in India captain Ajinkya Rahane did well to lead his under-strength side to victory without the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in Zimbabwe.
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Rayudu went on to score only his second ODI century, which included 12 fours and one six, after the tourists lost Vijay (one) and fellow opener Rahane (34).
As the middle order collapsed, moving from 74 for three to 87 for five, Rayudu and Binny compiled 160 in 24.3 overs to get their side back on track before the latter became Tiripano’s second victim. But Rayudu and Patel saw India to their total.
Zimbabwe looked like they had the victory total in sight as the match wore on after Chigumbura (104no) piled on the runs in a hit including eight fours and one maximum.
Chigumbura enjoyed a seventh-wicket stand of 86 with Graeme Cremer (27) but they failed to make it count as the hosts finished just four runs short of India’s score.