'Youngsters Making Mistakes is Acceptable but Senior Players...': Sikandar Raza's Unfiltered Analysis After Losing to India

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza asserted that the senior players in his team need to step up after a 23-run defeat against India in the third T20I on Wednesday in Harare. The hosts had a bad day on the field after being asked to bowl first. While captain Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad set the stage for India’s victory with their brilliant knocks, Zimbabwe’s sloppy fielding also added to the massive 182-run total piled up by the visitors.

In reply, Zimbabwe endured a poor start before Dion Myers and Clive Madande stitched a 77-run stand for the 5^th wicket. The former notched up his maiden T20I fifty and remained unbeaten on 65 off 49 balls but his efforts didn’t suffice to take the visitors home.

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Speaking at the post-match presentation, Raza didn’t hold himself back from highlighting the team’s shortcomings during the game. He was adamant that the seniors need to level up their game to match the opponent’s intensity.

“I think it’s the fielding again, we are proud of our fielding but the wheels came off today, we gave away 20 extra runs and we lost by 23 runs. We still have problems at the top but I have utmost faith in them that they will come good sometime,” Raza said in the post-match presentation.

“We have tried 15 different partners (openers) in the last year and a half or so. There is a lot of cricket going on in the country and club cricket has revived.

“It’s time that our players including myself take up the responsibility. The youngsters making mistakes is acceptable but the senior players need to step up. You cannot fix a problem by creating another problem, we have picked 3 openers for a reason. The openers that have been picked up should be given a run,” said Raza.

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Sikandar Raza tried to fight back by hitting three boundaries, but Washington had him slow-sweeping to deep mid-wicket in the seventh over.

Madande and Myers feasted on width and friendly lengths from part-timers Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube, as well as off Bishnoi to hit nine boundaries in their scintillating 77-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Washington Sundar was India’s pick of bowlers, returning 3 for 15 to be adjudged the Player of the Match.