With scores of 64, 43, 98*, 82*, 33 in his last five ODI innings, Shubman Gill was inching closer to that elusive international hundred.
The right-hander smashed 130 off 90 pitches, hitting 15 fours and a six in an innings that oozed quality. The right-hander from Punjab scored the highest ODI score by an Indian in Zimbabwe. Gill broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of 24 years. In 1998, the famous cricketer hit an undefeated 127 in Bulawayo.
Gill also became the second-youngest Indian with an ODI century against Zimbabwe, after Mohammed Kaif, at the age of 22 years and 348 days (21y 287d).
Gill and Kishan shared a third-wicket partnership of 140 runs until Kishan was run out by Tony Munyonga.
The 22-year-old played a variety of strokes, with straight drives and cover drives sticking out. He experienced a few nervous moments in the 1990s before reaching the landmark.
Evans requested a near leg before call, but the DRS was denied after UltraEdge revealed that the ball made contact with Gill's bat before thudding into the pads.
Gill's innings ended with the first ball of the final over when he attempted a boundary but attained height rather than length off a Brad Evans delivery and was caught at long-off by Innocent Kaia. But by then, he had guaranteed that India batted first and reached a formidable total of 298 for 8.
India won the match 13 runs to complete a 3-0 sweep.
“It’s a great bunch of players and I have been playing with them for some time now,” Gill, who was adjudged Player fo the Series for scoring 245 runs in three ODIs, said after the match.