HARARE, July 12

India’s Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay put on a century opening stand to lay the platform for a 62-run victory over Zimbabwe and a series win in the second one-day international at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

After the tourists were sent in to bat, the pair put on 112 for the first wicket as India posted 271-8 in their 50 overs. Zimbabwe found quick scoring difficult from the start of their reply and were eventually bowled out for 209 with an over remaining. Rahane took 83 balls for his score of 63, while Vijay managed just three fours, two sixes, as he top-scored for India with 72 off 95 balls.

They were the only two half-centuries of the innings and after they departed India lost wickets at regular intervals on the slow pitch. Zimbabwe seamer Neville Madziva posted career best figures in all List A matches of 4-49 in his 10 overs. The home side stumbled in their reply and when their century hero from Friday’s narrow four-run loss, skipper Elton Chigumbura, was dismissed for nine they had slumped to 43-3 in the 11th over. Opener Chamu Chibhabha provided lone resistance with a neatly compiled 72 from 100 balls before he was run out by a direct hit from Rahane.

Harbhajan Singh, who has returned to 50-over international cricket after an absence of four years for this tour, bowled tidily to register 1-29 in his 10 overs. But the pick of the Indian bowlers was medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 4-33 from his allotted overs. The final match of the series will be staged at the same venue on Tuesday, before playing two T20s starting on Friday.