Blessing Muzarabani put in a fine performance with the ball, but he was unable to stop India from winning the final T20 international match at Harare Sports Club on Sunday by 42 runs and taking the series by four victories to one.
The hosts won the toss this time and put the visitors in to bat.
The first over was almost sensational, as the captain Sikandar Raza opened the bowling himself, and after one legitimate ball 13 runs were on the board.
The first was a no-ball, which Yashasvi Jaiswal hit for six, followed by another off his second delivery.
But the fourth ball made it all worthwhile, as Raza fired in a quicker yorker that hit his leg stump, and Jaiswal was gone for 12 off five deliveries.
Abhishek Sharma scored 14 before he was caught at the wicket off Muzarabani, and Shubman Gill 12 before he pulled a catch off Richard Ngarava to mid-on.
The score was now 40 for three after five overs, but India began to pull back as Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag (22) put on 65 in nine overs, with the bowlers able to keep them under reasonable restraint.
Samson top-scored with 58 off 56 balls, while near the end Shivam Dube slammed 26 off 12 balls.
India finished on 167 for six wickets, with Muzarabani bowling extremely well to take two wickets for 19 runs off his four overs.
Zimbabwe batters made a poor start as in the first over, with only a wide on the board, Wessly Madhevere chopped a ball from Mukesh Kumar on to his stumps.
Three fours came in the second over, but in the third Kumar had Brian Bennett caught at backward point for 10, to make the score 15 for two.
Tadiwanashe Marumani played some good strokes for 27, but at 59 for three in the ninth over he was out lbw to an attempted slog-sweep off Washington Sundar.
Dion Myers was fourth to go, for 34 off 32 balls, but with the score 85 in the 13th over Zimbabwe were falling behind the required run rate.
The situation needed a special performance from Raza, but Zimbabwe’s hopes were shattered when a mix-up between him and Johnathan Campbell saw him run out for eight, to make the score 87 for five in the 14th over.
Zimbabwe were left to score another 74 runs off the last five overs.
When Clive Madande was caught in the following over at 94 for seven, four wickets had fallen in successive overs for nine runs.
Faraz Akram put on a bold front, hitting out admirably with two sixes and two fours for 27 runs off 13 balls, but the innings closed for 125 when he and Ngarava were both out to Kumar in the 19th over.
Kumar finished with four wickets for 22 runs.
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