Cricket round-up: Another defeat to India frustrates Zimbabwe

Home team 'can't find answers' after losing fourth successive one-dayer, by nine wickets, to young India side led by Virat Kohli.

Rohit Sharma, left, scored an unbeaten 64 as India won the fourth ODI against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Thursday. Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi / AP Photo
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India romped to a nine-wicket win in the fourth one-day international against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Thursday to again underline their superiority in the five-match series.

The tourists raced to the modest target of 145 with nearly 20 overs to spare after skittling the Zimbabwe top order and bowling out the home side for 144 at Queens Sports Club.

Only an unbeaten half-century from Elton Chigumbura saved Zimbabwe from a more emphatic defeat. India have won all four ODIs in the series by comfortable margins.

Suresh Raina scored 65 not out and Rohit Sharma an unbeaten 64 as India chased down the target in 30.5 overs for the loss of only debutant Cheteshwar Pujara.

"There was something in the wicket early on and we sought to extract that, and the bowlers did that to good effect," said Virat Kohli, the India captain.

Debutant Mohit Sharma took the first wicket in the seventh over and there was a steady procession of batsmen back to the pavilion thereafter as Zimbabwe slumped to 47 for five in just the 16th over.

Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller restored some pride, though at a pedestrian pace, with their 80-run partnership taking more than 20 overs.

Waller was eventually caught behind off Mohit for 35, but Chigumbura went on to reach 50 just before the last wicket fell.

In reply, India began sluggishly, but once Pujara departed, Raina and Rohit sought to finish off proceedings early.

"It was all about giving the guys who haven't had a decent bat time in the middle and a chance to give it a go," Kohli said.

A fourth successive hammering - albeit from the world champions - left the Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor perplexed.

"It's frustrating on a pretty good batting wicket" not to make runs, the right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman said at the post-match presentation.

"We can't find the answers. We've done the hard work in practice, but come up short again. It's got to be the mental side weighing us down."

The final match of the series is at the same venue on Saturday.

Day 1 of Canada v UAE game rained off

The first day of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match between Canada and the UAE in King City was cancelled. Play will begin on Friday with the hope the ground is dried in time for the second day's action. The UAE will also play two one-day internationals and as many Twenty20 games.

Kulasekara in Sri Lanka’s T20 squad

Sri Lanka have recalled seamer Nuwan Kulasekara to their 15-member squad for a three-match Twenty20 series against South Africa, starting in Colombo on Friday, after he missed the five-match ODI series – which the home team won by beating the Proteas 4-1 – due to a finger injury.

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