Zimbabwe host India in the third and final match of the bilateral series being played between the sides at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, July 26. The home team, who recently lost their T20I series to Bangladesh, have a lot of pent-up anger inside them. Similarly, India were whitewashed 0-2 and 0-4 by Ireland and England, respectively, and they will have a lot of points to prove. Interim head coach VVS Laxman knows that getting a good result in this series will help him secure this job.
The home team, who have a fine bowling attack led by Richard Ngarava, know that if they focus on their batting in the middle overs, they can confidently hold their own. For India, it is the other way round – they have an extraordinary top-order, with the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma plying their trade. Their bowling attack, however, looks raw and inexperienced, with only Ravi Bishnoi having played more than 10 international matches in his career.
Predicted Teams
ZIM: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Ben Curran, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.
IND: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav.
Key Players
Ben Curran (ZIM): A stylish left-handed batter, Ben Curran is the brother of England internationals Sam and Tom. Although he has played county cricket in England, Ben Curran has opted to represent Zimbabwe in international cricket. His ability to score runs at a brisk pace, especially against spin, will hold him in good stead against the Indians. His battle with leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi will be interesting to watch.
Tilak Varma (IND): A lot has been spoken about how Tilak Varma often finds opportunities to slow down the scoring rate for India and keep his spot secure in the XI. This game allows the Hyderabad left-hander a perfect opportunity to prove his critics wrong. Asked to bat in the middle order, Varma can act as the ideal finisher for India alongside Rinku Singh. The usage of the long handle is a speciality of Varma’s.
Match Prediction
India, by now, have understood and adapted to these conditions well. They are expected to win this game. While the pitch at the Harare Sports Club tends to swing and seam at the beginning, it does get placid as time goes by. Any batter worth his salt is likely to get runs here if he spends time at the crease. India’s main strength is their explosive batting, and they will enjoy playing an aggressive brand of cricket.
