Hardik Pandya, left, celebrates 50 with Tilak Varma. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: India’s T20 World Cup campaign sprang to life in emphatic fashion as they crushed Zimbabwe by 72 runs in a virtual knockout, a performance that earned praise from batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar hailed the team’s character under pressure, declaring that “must-win games reveal temperament” after India amassed their highest total in T20 World Cup history.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!India, recovering from a crushing 76-run defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad that left their net in tatters, responded with authority. Asked to bat first, they unleashed their most dangerous brand of cricket, racing to 256/4 in 20 overs – the highest total in this edition. It was not one monumental individual score, but a collective intention. Every batsman in the top order has hit more than 150, marking the first instance of the top six scoring more than 20 in a T20 World Cup innings.
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Posting on X, Tendulkar wrote, “Must win games reveal temperament. 256 revealed a lot! Highest total in this T20 World Cup and what stood out was the intent of today’s match. Well played India, take that rhythm into the next game. Congrats Zimbabwe too on a great tournament!”Half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (55 off 30) and Hardik Pandya (50 not out off 23), along with Tilak Varma’s blazing unbeaten 44 off 16, powered the Indian attack. Zimbabwe fought bravely in reply to finish on 184/6. Brian Bennett dazzled with an unbeaten 97 off 59 while Sikandar Raza chipped in with 31. Arshdeep Singh (3/24) led India’s bowling effort.Captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted the bowling could have been “a bit more clinical” but praised the batting as “pleasing”. He revealed that the team consciously blocked out the noise after the loss in South Africa, taking confidence from the year-long performance review prepared by analysts.With a crucial clash against the West Indies looming in Kolkata, India rediscovered belief – and, as Tendulkar noted, their temperament when it mattered most.
