India appeared on course to secure their fourth straight win in the series after putting Zimbabwe under severe pressure during their chase of 168.
The hosts’ hopes largely depended on skipper Sikandar Raza to pull off a surprise victory with some heroics, but the veteran’s knock ended in an unfortunate and slightly comical fashion.
On the fourth ball of the 14th over, Raza swept a Ravi Bishnoi length delivery to fine leg towards Shivam Dube. Johnathan Campbell immediately sprinted towards the striker’s end for a single, but his captain hesitated before committing to the run, offering the Men in Blue a chance to effect a run out.
The southpaw cleanly picked up the Kookaburra and slung a throw towards the danger end. The ball bounced off the deck before going past the stumps without any visible damage. Raza must have heaved a sigh of relief, but in a hilarious twist, a bail slowly slid off the stumps.
— Gill Bill (@bill_gill76078) July 14, 2024
Replays showed the white rock had grazed the poles, sending the Indian team into jubilation. Twitter users expressed mixed sentiments about the dismissal.