Zimbabwe batter Johnathan Campbell faced a disappointing start in the first T20I against India, getting run-out before he could even score. The game, held at the Harare Sports Club, saw the visitors take control early on. Campbell came to the crease in the 12th over with Zimbabwe struggling at 74 for 4. Just before his arrival, Avesh Khan had dismissed Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza, putting immense pressure on Dion Myers and Campbell to stabilize the innings.
Unfortunately for Campbell, his time at the crease was cut short due to a mix-up on his very first ball. The incident occurred when Campbell pushed Avesh’s delivery towards the off-side and both he and Myers found themselves at the striker’s end. Initially, Campbell took a couple of steps forward, indicating he might run, but then decided against it.
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Myers, already committed, continued running, leaving both batters stranded at the same end. Washington Sundar fielded the ball efficiently and threw it to Avesh Khan, who calmly removed the bails at the non-striker’s end, resulting in Campbell’s run-out without scoring.
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At the time of writing, Zimbabwe managed to score 115 for 9 in the 20 overs and during the chase, India were 18/2 in the 5th over. Shubman Gill, captaining the Indian side, had won the toss and opted to bowl first. India made an excellent start with Mukesh Kumar dismissing Innocent Kaia for a duck on his very first delivery.
Brian Bennett provided some initial resistance, scoring 23 runs swiftly with five boundaries, but he fell to Ravi Bishnoi in the sixth over. Bennett’s wicket triggered a collapse as Zimbabwe lost wickets steadily. Wessly Madhevere managed to score 21 before being dismissed by Bishnoi, leaving Zimbabwe at 51 for 3.
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A brief partnership between captain Sikandar Raza (17) and Dion Myers (23) offered a glimmer of hope, but Avesh Khan’s dismissal of Raza once again derailed Zimbabwe’s innings. The home side continued to lose wickets, struggling to build any significant partnerships, and found themselves in deep trouble as India’s bowlers maintained their dominance.
