India's Kedar Jadhav blasted his highest score in Twenty20 internationals as it beat Zimbabwe by three runs in a tense finish to claim the three-match series 2-1 at the Harare Sports Club Wednesday. Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bowl first, restricting the tourists to 138 for six in its 20 overs on a slow wicket as Jadhav top-scored with 58 from 42 balls. But the host battled to keep up with the scoring rate and went into the final over of the match, bowled by Barinder Sran (2-31), needing 21 for victory. When the first two balls of the over went for 12 runs a sensational victory looked on the cards, but Sran came back well and bowled Elton Chigumbura (16) off the last delivery of the innings to leave Zimbabwe agonizingly short of a series victory. It was the first time on India's six-match limited overs tour that it batted first and, after starts for Lokesh Rahul (22) and Ambati Rayudu (20), Jadhav provided the impetus the innings desperately needed as he blazed seven fours and a six. India's opening bowlers restricted the run-rate well as Zimbabwe reached 59-2 at the halfway mark of its innings, with Sran going for just 14 in his first three overs and Dhawal Kulkarni ending with figures of 2-23 in his allotted four. Vusi Sibanda (28 from 23 balls) top scored for the host as several batsmen made starts but could not match Jadhav's half-century heroics. India also won the One-Day International series 3-0 that preceded the 20-over games. Scorecard India KL Rahul b Madziva 22 Mandeep Singh c Maruma b Tiripano 04 A. Rayudu c Chigumbura b Cremer 20 M. Pandey run out 00 K. Jadhav c Chigumbura b Tiripano 58 MS Dhoni b Tiripano 09 A. Patel not out 20 D. Kulkarni not out 01 Extras (1lb, 3w) 04 Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 138 Falls: 1-20 (Mandeep Singh), 2-27 (Rahul), 3-27 (Pandey), 4-76 (Rayudu), 5-93 (Dhoni), 6-122 (Jadhav). Did not bat: Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal. Bowling: Chatara 4-1-34-0, Tiripano 4-0-20-3, Madziva 4-0-32-1, Chibhabha 4-0-19-0, Cremer 4-0-32-1. Zimbabwe C. Chibhabha c Chahal b Sran 05 H. Masakadza lbw b Patel 15 V. Sibanda lbw b Kulkarni 28 P. Moor c Mandeep Singh b Chahal 26 M. Waller c Bumrah b Kulkarni 10 E. Chigumbura c Chahal b Sran 16 T. Maruma not out 23 Extras (8lb, 3w, 1nb) 12 Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 135 Falls: 1-17 (Chibhabha), 2-57 (Masakadza), 3-60 (Sibanda), 4-86 (Moor), 5-104 (Waller), 6-135 (Chigumbura). Did not bat: Graeme Cremer, Neville Madziva, Donald Tiripano, Tendai Chatara. Bowling: Sran 4-1-31-2, Kulkarni 4-0-23-2, Bumrah 4-0-23-0, Patel 4-0-18-1, Chahal 4-0-32-1.
