The three-match T20I series gives a struggling Zimbabwe team the chance to press the reset button and start with a clean slate
The Preview by Sirish Raghavan17-Jun-2016
Match facts
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Start time 1300 local (1100 GMT)3:06
‘There is enough pressure on players to perform here’ – Bangar
Big picture
Prior to the ODI series, Zimbabwe’s stand-in coach Makhaya Ntini spoke of “creating a new venture” and “competing with the big boys”. It was exactly the kind of upbeat talk Zimbabwe needed to draw a line under their disappointments of the past year and forge a more successful path going forward. Sadly, what followed was a succession of limp performances that demonstrated just how far Zimbabwe are from being able to compete at this level. It left fans angered and disillusioned, and steadily added to Ntini’s frustration with his charges.As bad as the outlook may seem for the hosts, the three-match T20I series in Harare gives them a chance to press the reset button and start afresh. The 20-over format mitigates their biggest weakness – the apparent inability to bat for long periods. Even during the course of the disastrous ODI series, Elton Chigumbura, Vusi Sibanda and Sikandar Raza showed glimpses of their potential. If they can produce a few sparkling knocks in the T20Is, Zimbabwe’s bowlers may finally have a fighting chance to compete.That said, India’s young side will only grow in confidence as they move to the shortest format. Most of them have been battle-hardened over several IPL seasons and, with the latest edition having concluded less than a month ago, they have ample match-practice to fall back on. Another 3-0 whitewash then?
Form guide
Zimbabwe: LWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
India: LWWWL
In the spotlight
Run-making is Zimbabwe’s foremost imperative at the moment. Where will the runs come from? Vusi Sibanda, who has been around for more than 13 years at the top level, was the side’s highest run-scorer in the ODI series. He played some delightful shots that provided a window into his talent. At 32, he is now a senior member of the team and will have to take the responsibility to deliver on that talent more often. If Sibanda can deliver, it will lay a platform for the lower-order strokemakers to cut loose.Jasprit Bumrah’s numbers in the three-ODI series merit a double-take – nine wickets at an average of 8.55 and an economy rate of 2.98. While some of that may be put down to the helpful conditions and the Zimbabwe batsmen’s unfamiliarity with his action, a lot of it is explained by the giant strides he’s taken since making his international debut in January this year. The T20 format will allow him to slip back into his comfort zone, tormenting batsmen with the new ball and at the death.
Team news
Craig Ervine and Sean Williams are out of the T20I series due to injury, leaving a dent in Zimbabwe’s batting.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Vusi Sibanda, 4 Sikandar Raza, 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 8 Graeme Cremer (capt), 9 Neville Madziva, 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Donald TiripanoIndia had selected the same 16-man squad for the ODIs and the T20Is. Only 12 of those players got a chance in the ODIs, and many of the batsmen registered DNBs. The bowling attack remained unchanged throughout, leaving Jayant Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan unutilised. It remains to be seen how willing MS Dhoni will be to tinker with the playing XI.India (probable): 1 KL Rahul, 2 Karun Nair/Faiz Fazal, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Axar Patel/Jayant Yadav, 8 Dhawal Kulkarni, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Barinder Sran/Jaydev Unadkat
Pitch and conditions
In the ODIs, conditions were seamer-friendly early on, and eased out a bit as the day wore on. The later start for the T20Is should work to the benefit of the batsmen. The wicket was flat and true for the third ODI, and is likely to be the same for the T20Is. Harare Sports Club is a fairly big ground, which means that fielding and running between the wickets will be under the scanner.
Stats and trivia
- The last time these two teams met in a T20I was at the same venue, 11 months ago – Zimbabwe won by 10 runs.
- Faiz Fazal is the only member of India’s squad not to have participated in IPL 2016.
Quotes
“The last T20 we played against India we beat them, so it’s not impossible. We are just looking to start well whether batting or bowling.”
“There is a lot to lose and a lot to gain for our younger players from this opportunity.”
