The big picture
Zimbabwe remain a dangerous opponent, but they have clear limitations and if turning a 1-1 draw into a series win was already a tough task, it will only get harder. India will be strengthened by the addition of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Sampson and Shivam Dube, the three players who won the T20 World Cup campaign.
Zimbabwe will have to be smart about how they approach the rest of this series. They will have to keep working on their fundamentals. The missed catch may have exaggerated the potential for defeat in the 2nd T20I, but they will also have to be realistic about their ambitions and understand that the young players (they have left out seasoned seniors like Shaun Williams and Craig Irvine for this series) will take time to develop themselves.
“It is positive because a lot of the mistakes our young players have made are due to lack of (experience) and not due to skill,” Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said after the second T20I. “As they play and establish themselves in international cricket, they will learn. We have all been there.”
Form Guide
Zimbabwe LWWLL (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first)
India Wow wow wow
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In two innings so far in this series, Brian Bennett He scored 22 from 15 balls and 26 from 9 balls. Batting at No. 3, he showed that he is a potential game changer for the Zimbabwe national team with his clean strike and off-spin, and if he can get enough time in the crease, he can still win a game or two in this series.
He had not played a match during India’s World Cup campaign and had missed the first two matches of the series as he was involved in celebrations back home. Now, he has finally Sanju SamsonHe has played just 25 T20Is in the nearly nine years since his debut, but now he is likely to play in three consecutive ones and will be hoping to make the most of the opportunity.
Team News
Zimbabwe captain Raja is loath to make changes in response to Sunday’s defeat, but he said after the match that left-arm seamer Richard Nagaraba would come in if he passes a fitness test. “If he is fit enough to go, he will come right back in.”
Zimbabwe XI (Probably): 1 Innocent Kaia, 2 Wessly Madhevere, 3 Brian Bennett, 4 Dion Myers, 5 Sikandar Raza(Capt), 6 Johnathan Campbell, 7 Clive Madande(State), 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Luke Jongwe/Richard Ngarava, 10 Muzarabani Blessing, 11 Tendai Chatara.
The return of Jaiswal, Samson and Dube complicates India’s selection. Jaiswal is expected to replace B Sai Sudharsan, who made his debut in the 2nd T20I but did not face the ball, but will he open or bat in the middle order? And who will Dube replace? Samson’s case is simpler. He will likely replace Rajasthan Royals teammate Dhruv Jurel. Whichever combination India choose, there will be at least two top-order players batting below their preferred slots.
India XI (Probably): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill (Capt), 3 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sanju Samson (State), 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Mukesh Kumar.
Pitch and Conditions
On the eve of the match, India batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad succinctly summed up the situation at Harare Sports Club in his pre-match press conference.
“Yes, it’s definitely tricky,” he said. “It’s a little bit unique. When there’s seam movement, if it’s coming at one pace, you can still negotiate. But here it feels a little bit double pace, there’s a little bit of variable bounce. So, there’s a little bit of a difference because of that. If (the ball) is new, it’s a little bit harder to score, but if it’s old, fast boundaries, relatively small boundaries, straight lines, you can still convert runs after that.”
The weather on Wednesday is forecast to be clear and sunny, with highs in the mid 20s Celsius.
Statistics and Trivia
quotes
“We are a country that is very quick to change things up when we have a bad game. Don’t forget, 24 hours ago these were the same players that won the game against India. (…) I don’t believe in making too many changes just because these players had a bad game. (…) I want to show that belief, the selectors want to show that belief in us, the board want to show that belief in us. So I think we are all on the same page in that regard.”
captain zimbabwe Sikandar Raja After losing by 100 runs in the 2nd T20I, he reaffirmed his faith in his players.
“This is a huge topic. It is not even the right place to think about this topic. Even comparing him and filling his shoes is comparatively very difficult and very difficult. As I said in IPL, it is difficult to fill Mahi. bisexual (MS Dhoni)’s shoes. Obviously, you want to start your own career and play your own game. That’s the priority right now. Focus on one game, focus on how you can contribute to the team in whatever position you play, and make sure you’re on the winning side more often than not.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad On filling Virat Kohli’s spot at number three
Karthik Krishnaswamy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo.
