Consistency might have been a long-standing problem for Zimbabwe but the availability of experienced campaigners including Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza, Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams will undoubtedly boost their chances.
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Deduce your own reasoning from all that, but the fact is that a three-match ODI series will get underway at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday with India, despite being paper thin on global experience barring Dhoni, the favourites.
Although many players in India s squad would appear to be some distance from cracking the first-choice team, Bangar believes that the tour of Zimbabwe, which also includes three Twenty20 internationals, offers a serious opportunity.
On that tour in 2015 the Duke ball was used, but this time around they will be using the Kookaburra, Bangar noted the differences: “This year we are going to be playing with Kookaburra balls”.
After the Indian Premier League bash which lasted for a month, the Men In Blue are back to play at an worldwide venue.
With senior pros granted rest, Fazal could finally get to pull on the Indian jersey and slot into Shikhar Dhawan’s opening position, alongside KL Rahul.
After the session, the team attended dinner hosted by Zimbabwe Cricket.
A series win this time will never be feted as it is something that everyone expects to be accomplished.
To understand things more clearly, Dhoni has played more limited over cricket matches than all the 15 players combined!
Dhoni himself has a new challenge for him, as various former Cricketers like Ravi Shastri has raised the question mark over the captaincy of MS Dhoni. Dhoni, however, had goofed up by saying three ODIs’ and two T20s.
India won the toss and made a decision to field first. While that isn’t a guarantee for picking up wickets, it’s a good place to start as he showed in the Harare Test against Pakistan in 2013. Thus, it was expected that few of these players would make their way in the first ODI itself. Similarly Dhawal Kulkarni will aim to cash in on his IPL form.
“MS [Dhoni] is very excited to be part of a young bunch of players”, Sanjay Bangar, India’s interim coach, told ESPNcricinfo.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s performance will also be closely monitored after a fantastic IPL as Amit Mishra has not exactly been favoured in the shorter versions. Now, he may be playing to become India’s most sought-after batsmen.
It will be interesting to see the make-up of the Indian team for starters.
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Rishi Dhawan should claim the seam-bowling allrounder’s slot, followed by Axar Patel as the specialist spinner.
