Barring an 80-run sixth wicket stand between Elton Chigumbura (50 not out) and Malcolm Waller (35), Zimbabwe had very little to show in their batting effort as they were bowled out in 42.4 overs.
Such was Zimbabwe's struggle that only four batsmen managed double digit scores after being invited to bat by skipper Virat Kohli.
For India, leg-spinner Amit Mishra scalped three wickets for 25 runs, while debutant Mohit Sharma (2/26) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/28) picked up two apiece. Mohammed Shami and Jaydev Unadkat also accounted for one wicket each.
Mohit impressed in his maiden ODI as he managed to extract pace and movement from the Queens Sports Club pitch.
The 24-year-old from Haryana soon tasted success and registered his maiden international wicket in just his fourth over when he induced an edge from Sikandar Raza which Dinesh Karthik had no problems in accepting.
Pitched on a good length on off stump, the ball nipped away off the seam just enough to take Raza's outside edge through to Karthik behind the stumps.