Team India’s commanding victory over Zimbabwe in the first T20I may have come against lower-ranked opposition, but former India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh believes the celebrations were completely justified given the team’s recent struggles in the shortest format. After enduring back-to-back T20I series defeats against Ireland and England, India finally returned to winning ways with an emphatic performance in Harare.

The Men in Blue entered the three-match series under pressure after suffering a 0-2 defeat to Ireland followed by a 0-4 loss against England. Those disappointing campaigns also marked Shreyas Iyer’s first assignments as India’s T20I captain, leaving the skipper desperate to register his maiden victory. According to Ramesh, that context makes India’s convincing win over Zimbabwe far more significant than many critics are willing to admit.

Speaking on his Instagram handle, Sadgoppan Ramesh explained that any victory would have been a huge confidence booster for a side that had gone through a difficult phase. “Many are saying India shouldn’t be so excited for just a win over Zimbabwe. Yet, when you are starving for a victory for so long in T20Is, even leftover food will taste like a wedding meal. Shreyas Iyer will be relieved, considering India’s fall under his captaincy. He would have reached a point where a win over anyone would have been enough for him.”

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India produced a complete performance in the series opener. After electing to bowl first, the visitors restricted Zimbabwe to 125/7 through disciplined bowling led by Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi. In reply, the Indian batting unit made light work of the chase, reaching the target in just 13.2 overs with seven wickets in hand to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Ramesh also reserved special praise for VVS Laxman, who is once again serving as India’s interim head coach during the Zimbabwe tour. The former opener highlighted Laxman’s impressive record whenever he has stepped into the coaching role, noting that India have consistently delivered dominant performances under his guidance.

“Laxman also deserves high praise. India perform well every time he’s the head coach. Under him, India seem to always whitewash the opponents, even at a time the other teams are constantly whitewashing India otherwise. It got to the point where India just needed a win of any kind and hence their elation after beating even Zimbabwe,” Sadgoppan Ramesh said.

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Laxman has previously overseen several successful assignments, including India’s gold medal-winning campaign at the 2023 Asian Games and the T20I series triumph in South Africa. With momentum finally on their side, India will now aim to seal the three-match series when they face Zimbabwe in the second T20I at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday, July 25.