It was a day when Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite who scored tons in the West Indies’s first innings of 447-6 declared, created another record of being the first opening pair to bat on all five days of a Test match.
Resuming from their overnight score of 21-0 with the West Indies captain on 11 and Chanderpaul on 10. The pair would add another 11 runs before Brad Evans broke the partnership when he bowled Chanderpaul for 15.
Brathwaite was trapped lbw by Wellington Masakadza for 25 which brought Reifer and Blackwood together. They mounted a stand of 107 that was broken when Masakadza picked up his second wicket when he dismissed Reifer caught and bowled for 58.
He picked up his fourth wicket of the match when he had Blackwood caught behind for 57 to end with figures of 3-71.
Evans picked up his second wicket when he had Roston Chase caught behind for 14 after which Kyle Mayers and Joshua Da Silva added another 23 runs before the declaration came.
Mayers remained unbeaten on 17 and Da Silva, nine.
Evans took 2-41.
At tea, Zimbabwe needing 272 for victory were 1-0.
Scores: West Indies 447-6 (dec) and 203-5 (dec) vs Zimbabwe 379-9 (dec) and 1-0.
Taylor says he was blackmailed by an Indian businessman, who paid him USD $15,000 to travel to India to discuss sponsorships and potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe in 2019.
The 35-year-old says he had not been paid by Zimbabwe Cricket for six months and it was questionable whether his country would continue playing international cricket.
Wicketkeeper-batter Taylor stated that he "foolishly took the bait" when he was offered cocaine on a night out for a celebratory dinner with the businessman and his colleagues after concluding discussions.
Taylor says he was "cornered" the following morning when six people stormed into his hotel room to show him a video of him taking cocaine and told the footage would be made public if he refused to spot-fix in international matches.
The ex-Zimbabwe skipper says he was handed USD $15,000 as a "deposit" for spot-fixing and was told another USD $20,000 would be paid once the "job" was complete.
Taylor felt he had to take the money, so he was allowed go home but suffered with both his mental and physical health following the life-changing ordeal in India that has taken him to some "dark places".
He stated that he has never been involved in spot-fixing, but is facing a ban for not reporting what happened in India to the International Cricket Council for four months.
Taylor said in a statement: "The 'businessman' wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC.
"I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family.
"I approached the ICC on my own terms and I hoped that if I explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.
"Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruptions seminars over the years and we knew that time is of the essence when making reports.
"I would like to place on record that I have never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things but I am not a cheat.
"My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threat which could be thrown my way."
Taylor revealed he will check into a rehabilitation centre on Tuesday to "get clean" and to get his life "back on track" after living in "hell for years".
The 35-year-old's three-and-a-half-year punishment was confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, after Taylor gave early notice of his fate in a statement at the start of the week.
Taylor said on Monday that he had been blackmailed by an Indian businessman, who paid him $15,000 to travel to India in 2019 to discuss sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe.
Wicketkeeper-batter Taylor stated that he "foolishly took the bait" when he was offered cocaine on a night out for a celebratory dinner with the businessman and his colleagues after concluding discussions.
Taylor says he was "cornered" the following morning when six people "stormed into" his hotel room to show a video of him taking cocaine and say the footage would be made public if he refused to spot-fix in international matches.
Taylor said he was handed $15,000 as a "deposit" for spot-fixing and was told another $20,000 would be paid once the "job" was complete.
Although Taylor has insisted he never spot-fixed, a four-month delay in reporting the episode to the ICC has been his undoing.
He admitted to breaching three aspects of the ICC anti-corruption code relating to delayed disclosure, and one of "obstructing or delaying" an investigation.
Taylor said in his statement on Monday: "I may be many things but I am not a cheat."
He said he would be heading to a rehabilitation centre to "get clean" after admitting he has a drugs problem.
Taylor tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine after Zimbabwe's match against Ireland on September 8 2021, and the ICC said he had accepted a one-month ban for that offence, having taken the drug out of competition and with it having no relation to his performance.
Taylor will be eligible to return to cricket from July 28 2025, by which time he will be 39 years old. ICC integrity unit general manager Alex Marshall said Taylor "knew exactly what his obligations were" in regard to corruption and doping, and said it was "disappointing that a player of his experience chose not to fulfil those obligations".
The tourists started the day in an extremely strong position, having skittled Zimbabwe for 176 and then reached stumps on 103 on day one.
Openers Imran Butt and Abid Ali (60) were well set and they each kicked on to post half-centuries, Butt coming nine runs short of a hundred.
But, after a show of resistance from the Zimbabwe attack, which included Pakistan captain Babar Azam going for a duck, it was Fawad who stole the show with an unbeaten 108.
He led Pakistan to 374-6 at the close, a lead of 198, and will Hasan Ali (21 off 18) for company at the crease as they look to further their control on day three.
Butt and Abid put on 115 for the first wicket, however, after the latter edged to first slip to give the breakthrough to Zimbabwe, the hosts continued their inroads as Donald Tiripano removed Azhar Ali (36) and then dismissed Babar first ball when the skipper pushed a full delivery to straight mid-on.
Yet by that point, Pakistan already had a 50-run lead and Fawad ensured that advantage would be added to considerably.
He reaped the rewards for a measured innings and his century was brought up with a four following a misfield at mid-off.
Mohammad Rizwan's 45 also helped Pakistan's cause, while Hasan struck two sixes and a four to accelerate things further before stumps.
Fawad continues fine form
Three of Fawad's centuries have come since December 2020, with the left-hander making the most of the second act of his Test career having spent more than 10 years in the wilderness.
He scored 102 against New Zealand last Boxing Day and then 109 versus South Africa on home soil in January. His career-best remains his 168 against Sri Lanka back in 2009, but that total could be under threat if he maintains his composure here.
Babar tripped up by Donald
An ill-advised shot from Babar in which he was tempted in a risky drive off the bowling of Tiripano saw him go for a golden duck for the first time in his career. It is his first of any variety in Test cricket since October 2018 against Australia.
Gabriel has taken 161 wickets in 56 Tests, placing him joint 12th in the West Indies all-time wicket-takers list and more recently was the joint-leading wicket taker in the CG United Super50 Cup for the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in November last year.
Gabriel’s last Test Match was against Sri Lanka in November 2021. Warrican’s last international appearance was also in Sri Lanka in December 2021 when he played in both matches in the Test Series. Motie made his Test debut for West Indies in Antigua in June 2022 in the first Test of the two-match Series victory against Bangladesh.
Jayden Seales is unavailable for selection following a knee injury and subsequent surgery; while Anderson Phillip is also unavailable due to injury.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon Dr Desmond Haynes said: “This is the start of the international calendar for 2023 and we will hope to start with a win. We appreciate it won’t be as easy assignment as Zimbabwe, like most other teams in world cricket, play very well on their home soil on pitches that will support their style of play.”
Haynes added: “We looked at the conditions we anticipate playing in, and have included two left-arm spinners who didn’t go to Australia in Motie and Warrican. With our fast bowlers, Seales has done extremely well for us since he started back in 2021, but with him unavailable we have decided that Gabriel would be best able to fill that role. He (Gabriel) is an experienced bowler who has been at the international level for over 10 years and has knowledge of the conditions in Zimbabwe when we won there in 2017.”
West Indies will play both Test matches at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, with the first Test running from 4 to 8 February, and the second match from 12 to 16 February. Ahead of the two-Test Series, West Indies will have a three-day warm-up match against a local side set for 28 to 30 January at Bulawayo Athletic Club. All matches start at 10am local time (4am Eastern Caribbean/3am Jamaica).
The last Test Series between Zimbabwe and the West Indies was also played at Queens Sports Club in October 2017. West Indies won the two-match Series 1-0, winning the first contest by 117 runs with the second Test ending in a draw.
FULL SQUAD
Kraigg Brathwaite (captain)
Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain)
Nkrumah Bonner
Tagnarine Chanderpaul
Roston Chase
Joshua Da Silva
Shannon Gabriel
Jason Holder
Alzarri Joseph
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie
Raymon Reifer
Kemar Roach
Devon Thomas
Jomel Warrican
MATCH SCHEDULE
28-30 January: three-day warm-up match at Bulawayo Athletic Club
4-8 February: 1st Test at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
12-16 February: 2nd Test at Queens Sports Club
It was the second consecutive ODI Series in which Pakistan have made a comeback to win 2-1, having defeated Australia in similar fashion earlier this month.
Pakistan ran up a total of 303-6, having got off to a strong start as opener Abdullah Rafique made his fifth half-century off 68 balls before Ghulam's 103 from 99 deliveries put the tourists in the ascendency.
Zimbabwe’s bowling attack left much to be desired as Pakistan were able to plunder 69 runs from the last five overs, leaving the Chevrons with an uphill task of claiming an unlikely victory.
Pakistan’s bowlers were in far better form as, aside from Craig Ervine's half-century, Zimbabwe struggled to find a rhythm at the crease, with Brian Bennett (37) the only other batter to make it past 30 runs.
Saim Ayub (2-29), Abrar Ahmed (2-45), Haris Rauf (2-45), and Aamir Jamal (2-19) did much of the damage, limiting Zimbabwe to just 204 runs in their chase as their innings finished with just under 10 overs remaining.
Data Debrief – Unwanted milestone for Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe have become the fifth team to record 400 losses in men’s ODI history, joining Sri Lanka (453), India (445), Pakistan (430) and the West Indies (415) to surpass that total.
They have also won only one of their last eight matches in the format (L7), an 80-run victory against Pakistan in the first game of this series (24 November 2024).
Pakistan, on the other hand, have now won four of their last five men’s ODIs away from home (L1). It’s more than they won across their eight such fixtures prior to that span (W2 L6).
India started the match chasing a 15th consecutive ODI win against their hosts, as well as a second successive clean sweep on one-day tours of Zimbabwe, and they were not to be denied in a high-scoring contest.
Gill's landmark knock came after a solid start from opening duo Shikhar Dhawan (40) and KL Rahul (30), while Ishan Kishan made 50 as the tourists posted 289-8 at Harare Sports Club.
Brad Evans (5-54) recorded the best figures of his fledgling ODI career and although Sikandar Raza made a brilliant 115 off 95 balls, Zimbabwe fell short on 276 all out.
The wickets began to tumble when Zimbabwe threw caution to the wind midway through the innings, losing Regis Chakabva (16), Takudzwanashe Kaitano (13), Ryan Buri (8) and Luke Jongwe (14) in the space of just under 10 overs.
Raza led a terrific fightback, hitting three sixes and finding the rope nine times before he was caught by Gill off the bowling of Shardul Thakur in the penultimate over, and Avesh Khan finished off the job by cleaning up Victor Nyauchi.
Avesh took 3-66, while Axar Patel (2-30), Kuldeep Yadav (2-38) and Deepak Chahar (2-75) also made an impact with the ball.
India have now won seven consecutive ODIs away from home, their best run since a sequence of nine in a row between July 2017 to February 2018.
The tourists had gone 11 matches without success as the touring side in the longest format, stretching back to a win at Lord's in 2018, but wrapped up a crushing victory by an innings and 116 runs at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Hasan took 5-36 - including his 50th Test scalp - as Zimbabwe were bowled out for only 134 in the final session. Those were his best innings figures in a Test, and the paceman finished with a match haul of 9-89.
Nauman Ali also chipped in with 2-27 as the hosts folded from 92-2, Tarisai Musakanda top-scoring with 43 at the top of the order.
Pakistan were earlier bowled out for 426, Blessing Muzarabani claiming 4-73, as they secured a huge first-innings lead of 250 runs.
Babar Azam's side had resumed on 374-6 and Fawad Alam moved from 108 to 140 before he was superbly caught behind by Regis Chakabva slashing at a delivery from Muzarabani.
Hasan also fell to Muzarabani for 30, while Donald Tiripano (3-89) and Richard Ngarava (2-104) also struck before Zimbabwe folded with the bat for a second time in a short match.
Dream return for Hasan
Hasan had been absent from the Pakistan Test team for two years before making his return in January.
The 26-year-old was named man of the match after taking 10 wickets in the second Test against South Africa and carried on where he left off in Harare.
Hasan has taken 21 wickets in three Tests in a dream comeback, reaching the landmark of 50 wickets in the longest format in only his 12th game. He was unsurprisingly rewarded for a stunning performance with another man of the match award.
Zimbabwe batting frailties exploited
Zimbabwe were always going to be up against it after they were skittled out in two sessions on day one.
They showed some resistance second time around but then lost seven wickets for 42 runs. Prince Masvaure was unable to bat due to a hand injury,
The tourists resumed on the penultimate day staring down the barrel of a crushing defeat in the one-off Test and they were put out of their misery in the afternoon session.
Hasan (5-82) claimed his second five-wicket haul in only his fifth Test and recorded outstanding match figures of 9-152 as Zimbabwe were dismissed for only 189 in their second innings on Tuesday.
Taijul Islam also had Craig Ervine's side in a spin, taking 4-78 in what was the Tigers' first victory in the longest format for 450 days, when they also beat Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe were on the ropes when they resumed on 9-2 and lost Kevin Kasuza in the sixth over of the day, the opening edging Islam to Mohammad Mithun at second slip.
Brendan Taylor soon followed and captain Craig Ervine, a centurion in the first innings, was superbly run out for 43 by his opposite number Mominul Haque before lunch.
Sikandar Raza (37) was going along nicely when he slapped a long hop from Islam to Mushfiqur Rahim, who made a magnificent unbeaten double-century in Bangladesh's 560-6 declared, and Regis Chakabva was the next to go.
The brilliant Hasan had another five-wicket haul after accounting for Ainsley Ndlovu and Timycen Maruma in quick succession and Islam ended a one-sided match by trapping Charlton Tshuma lbw.
The former fast bowler accepted five charges from 2016 to 2018 relating to games including internationals and domestic Twenty20 competitions.
Streak admitted the charges and agreed the sanction with the ICC in lieu of a tribunal hearing, and will be free to resume his involvement in cricket on March 28, 2029.
Alex Marshall, the general manager of the ICC's integrity unit, said: "Heath Streak is an experienced former international cricketer and national team coach, who had participated in numerous anti-corruption education sessions and was fully aware of his responsibilities under the Code.
"As a former captain and coach, he held a position of trust and owed a duty to uphold the integrity of the game. He breached the Code on several occasions, including facilitating the approach of four other players. At times, he also sought to obstruct and delay our investigation.
"The offences did not affect the outcomes of any relevant matches and Mr Streak has agreed to assist the ICC anti-corruption education programme for which we are grateful. He has also expressed his remorse and contrition and entered this agreed sanction decision to avoid the need for a full disciplinary process. The sanction reflects this cooperation."
Streak, 47, won 65 Test caps for Zimbabwe between December 1993 and September 2005 and appeared in 189 one-day internationals.
The Scots won the toss and put the West Indians in to bat at the Harare Sports Club.
Hope top scored with a 65-ball 57 while Shepherd provided some valuable lower-order hitting with a brisk 34-ball 53 as the Windies posted 264 in 48.4 overs.
Hope’s knock contained six fours while Shepherd hit five fours and three sixes.
Chris Sole took 4-50 from his 10 overs while Jack Jarvis and Chris Greaves each claimed three wickets for Scotland.
The West Indies then successfully defended the total, needing only 33.5 overs to bowl the Scots out for 173.
Cariah produced an excellent spell of bowling to claim 4-46 in nine overs while Roston Chase took 3-43 from 5.5 overs.
Brandon McMullen and Matthew Cross were the chief scorers for Scotland with 38 and 35, respectively.
The West Indies next warm-up match will take place at the same venue on Thursday against the UAE.
Introduced to help bring context to 50-over cricket at the highest level, the Super League will be used as a qualification system for the next ICC World Cup, scheduled for 2023 in India.
There will be 13 teams involved – the 12 full members, as well as the Netherlands – and the top seven in the final table will automatically secure their place at the global tournament, the ICC confirmed in a statement.
All sides will play four series at home and away, with each consisting of three matches.
"The league will bring relevance and context to ODI cricket over the next three years, as qualification for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is at stake," Geoff Allardice, ICC general manager for cricket operations, said.
"The Super League gives cricket fans around the world even more reasons to watch as the drama of league cricket unfolds.
"The decision last week to move the World Cup back to late 2023 gives us more time to schedule any games lost due to COVID-19 and preserve the integrity of the qualification process, meaning it will be decided on the field of play, which is important."
Reigning world champions England will kick things off this week when they start their series against Ireland, the first of three matches between the teams taking place at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
"We're looking forward to playing cricket again and to the ICC Men's World Cup Super League," England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan said.
"Given the situation, it will be quite different to the last time we played at home, when we lifted the World Cup at Lord's, but it's nice to be starting our journey for the next edition of the tournament.
"I'm sure cricket fans all over the world will be excited to see white-ball cricket resume and we're looking forward to the challenge."
Global concerns regarding the emergence of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 has seen travel restrictions imposed for several African countries, including Zimbabwe. Those conditions would make travel difficult for players involved in the event.
The tournament was expected to provide the final three spots for the ICC Women's World Cup in New Zealand next year as and also decide the remaining two spots for the next cycle of the ICC Women's Championship.
The places will now be decided based on team rankings, in keeping with the tournament's playing conditions.
As a result, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the West Indies will now progress to the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, with Sri Lanka and Ireland occupying the other slots for the 2022-25 cycle of the ICC Women's Championship.
On Saturday, the scheduled games were already underway with Zimbabwe facing Pakistan and USA taking on Thailand. The West Indies were scheduled to face Sri Lanka but that game was called off after a member of the Sri Lanka support staff tested positive for the virus. The event was later abandoned. In their first encounter, the Windies Women cruised to a six-wicket win over Ireland.
Iftikhar (5-40) had not bowled at all in the first ODI – a 26-run win – and his sole prior international wicket in this format came in his 2015 debut against England.
But in the absence of rested paceman Wahab Riaz, who took four wickets in the previous match, the off-spinner was handed the ball on Sunday and took full advantage.
Debutant Muhammad Musa (2-21) also made an early contribution with the dismissal of Craig Ervine, yet it was Iftikhar who intervened each time Zimbabwe started to build momentum.
The 30-year-old took his five wickets in succession, starting with dangermen Brendan Taylor (36) and finishing with Sean Williams (75).
Musa then brought the innings to a close as Carl Mumba's departure saw Zimbabwe all out for 206 in the 46th over, teeing up a routine Pakistan chase.
Tendai Chisoro (2-49) belatedly slowed the hosts as he removed both openers, but that brought Babar to the crease and the Pakistan skipper excelled.
Babar finished unbeaten on 77 off 74 balls, a steady but effective innings that finished with a flourish as he found the long-off fence with 88 balls still remaining.
The captain propelled Pakistan to 208-4 having also earlier helped Haider Ali – another debutant – through his first 29 runs at this level.
Zimbabwe dominated in the field, with the new-look India falling just short of their target in the final over.
The hosts made a fairly strong start, with Wesley Madhevere (21), Brian Bennett (22) and Dion Myers (23) steadily building the score, but wickets soon started to stumble.
Zimbabwe had four taken for a duck, one of those from the impressive Ravi Bishnoi (4-13), though Clive Madande salvaged some late pride to get them to 115-9 with his 29 runs (not out).
India's first choice 15 are not touring after their World Cup victory, with three debutants coming into the fold, though Abhishek Sharma's involvement was short-lived as he failed to get on the board.
Shubman Gill high scored with 31, and though it looked like Washington Sundar may beat that as he put together a late charge, he was caught on the penultimate ball as India finished 14 shy of their target in their first of five tests against Zimbabwe.
Data Debrief: India brought back down to Earth
Zimbabwe had two bowlers pick three wickets apiece, with Tendai Chatara (3-16) and Sikandar Raza (3-25). While on the other side, Bishnoi's 4-13 was a T20 career best.
The hosts' total of 115 is the lowest total ever defended against India in a T20I, and the lowest against anyone in Harare.
The hosts began poorly as they found themselves 31-4 after the first ball of the 11th over, with none of the top four batsmen scoring double figures.
They continued to struggle up to 110-8 after less than 30 overs, before a partnership of 70 from Brad Evans (33 not out) and Richard Ngarava (34) put some respect on the eventual total of 189 all out, captain Regis Chakabva top scoring with 35.
It did not seem like 190 would be enough to repel India, and sure enough the tourists made light work of it as openers Shikhar Dhawan (81 not out) and Shubman Gill (86 not out) chased it down themselves off just 30.4 overs.
Zimbabwe have lost their last 13 men's ODIs against India, which was already their longest losing streak against them in the format, having last beaten them in June 2010.
India have now won their last five away men's ODI matches. The last time they won as many consecutive matches on the road was a stretch of five in June 2019.
The second of the three-match series takes place in Harare on Saturday.
An unbeaten opening partnership between Jaiswal (93 not out) and new captain Gill (58 not out) in Harare secured the triumph for the reigning T20 world champions with one match of the series remaining.
Having started impressively, Zimbabwe lost both Tadiwanashe Marumani (25) and Wessly Madhevere (32) in quick succession, which ultimately kickstarted their collapse.
Sikandar Raza attempted to steady the ship with a crisp 46 from 28 balls, but the wickets continued to tumble as Shivam Dube (1-11) and Khaleel Ahmed (2-32) helped restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable 152 -7.
India wasted no time in chasing down their target, with Jaiswal and Gill reaching 61 by the end of the powerplay.
Jaiswal completed his half-century from 29 deliveries with the help of nine fours, with Gill then sealing his second consecutive 50 against Zimbabwe.
The win was secured in the second ball of the 15th over, putting India 3-1 up in the series.
Data Debrief: India's dominance over Zimbabwe continues
India clinched the series with a third win after losing the first game, making it the third time in four bilateral men's T20I series against Zimbabwe that they have won (D1).
They have now won six of their last seven men's T20Is against Zimbabwe (L1).
Raza's knock for Zimbabwe saw him make history, becoming the first player from the nation to score 2,000 runs in T20Is.
Joseph, who scooped man of the match honours, certainly played his part in the crucial victory, bowling with plenty of pace and hostility to restrict Zimbabwe to 122 in pursuit of the West Indies 153 for 7.
The win, however, while giving the Caribbean team a tournament saving two points, still leaves them just out of the equation on Net Run Rate. In the ultra-competitive group where all the teams are on 2 points after 2 matches, the equation becomes simple. Win the next one and advance.
“It’s very encouraging but we know the job’s not done. We still have one more game to win and we have to try and get that win in order to get out of this round,” he added.
For the second match in a row, Joseph, who worked well in tandem with Holder, was brought in with the team on the back foot and managed to steady the ship so to speak.
“For me, it’s all about pulling it back for the team. I try and get an early wicket, if not I just keep it tight,” he added.
The West Indies will face Ireland in their final fixture of the tournament on Thursday at 11:00 pm, while Zimbabwe will face Scotland.
When rain halted play, Zimbabwe were on 62-1 for their second innings, with a lead of 175 runs.
All-rounder Raza had earlier taken 7-113, the second-best figures recorded by a Zimbabwe player in Test cricket as Sri Lanka were all out for 293.
Paul Strang's record of 8-109, achieved against New Zealand in 2000, is the country's only superior bowling performance.
But enjoyment of Zimbabwe's progress was tempered by concern over Kasuza, who was taken off the field on a stretcher and rushed to hospital after being hit flush on the helmet by a Kusal Mendis shot at short leg early in the day.
He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and replaced by Timycen Maruma.
Kasuza is in a stable condition but will continue to be monitored, having also suffered a delayed concussion while fielding at the same position against the same batsman in the first Test, which was his debut.
With Sri Lanka beginning Wednesday on 122-2, Mendis, who had twice been dropped off the bowling of Raza on day two, finally fell to the same bowler for 22.
Kasuza sustained his injury when the pull shot from Mendis struck him, with Carl Mumba gathering the rebound.
Dinesh Chandimal hit Raza for six but they were the only runs he scored before being caught and bowled by the spinner two balls later.
Angelo Mathews (64) played an anchoring role to free up Dhananjaya de Silva (42) as the pair went about rebuilding Sri Lanka's innings.
De Silva had five fours and a six but ended up on his rear end as he was bowled by the rampant Raza in the last over before lunch with a delivery that stayed low.
Raza brought up his five-for by trapping Niroshan Dickwella (1), with a 38 from Vishwa Fernando the only contribution of note from the tail after Mathews had been caught down the legside.
Craig Ervine (13) stepped into open in the absence of Kasuza and he was the only man to fall before the close, with Prince Masvaure (26 not out) and Regis Chakabva (14no) well placed to press home Zimbabwe's advantage.
Kumar finished with figures of 4-22, taking two wickets in the 18th over to secure the win for the reigning T20 world champions.
Having failed to take any wickets from their 92 balls in their 10-wicket defeat on Saturday, Zimbabwe needed just four deliveries to get their first on Sunday as Sikandar Raza bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal out for 12.
The Chevrons continued their fast start as Abhishek Sharma (14) and Shubman Gill (13) fell early on, which had India at 44-3 by the end of the sixth over.
Sanju Samson's 58 from 45 deliveries steadied the ship, but Blessing Muzarabani (2-19) starred with the ball in hand as India finished on 167-6 after 20 overs.
Zimbabwe's chase for a second win of the series got off to the worst possible start, however, losing Wesley Madhevere for a duck after just the third ball.
Despite Dion Myers (34) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (27) attempting to revive a comeback, Zimbabwe failed to find their rhythm at the crease.
Faraz Akram's 16 runs from three balls in the 17th over offered slight hope, but Zimbabwe saw three wickets fall in quick succession, finishing 125 all out and confirming a 4-1 series defeat.
Data Debrief: India continue T20 champion form
India have now won seven of their last eight men's T20Is against Zimbabwe, including each of the last four, giving them their longest winning streak against the Chevrons.
Shivam Dube took the wicket on Sikandar Raza, India's 11th dismissal via run out in the men's T20Is they have played in 2024, better than any of the full-member sides.
