🏏Series: India tour of Zimbabwe, 2024, Zimbabwe VS India, 3rd T20I🏏

🏏Series: India tour of Zimbabwe, 2024, Zim VS India, 3rd T20I🏏

India will clash with Zimbabwe in the third T20I of the five-match series today, July 10th in Harare.

While Zimbabwe stunned India in the first T20I, the visitors thrashed them by 100 runs to level the series on Sunday.

India blasted the highest team total ever recorded in a T20I in Harare - a whopping 234 and routed Zimbabwe for 134. India have won four of their last five T20I matches.

Zimbabwe has lost three of its last five matches.

India will find it tough to choose between Yashasvi Jaiswal's seemingly effortless flamboyance and Abhishek Sharma's Uber-cool aggression at the top when they rejig their combination to make space for World Cup-winning squad members in the third T20 International against Zimbabwe in Harare on July 10.

The arrival of Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, all of whom were part of the main team during the title-winning run last month, gives the Indian team a formidable look in the most important game of the series as visitors look to press home the advantage after the booster shot of a series-levelling 100-run victory in the second match.

Abhishek, the left-handed opener, did enough to live up to his pre-series hype with a 46-ball century in only his second game and did look the part opening the innings.

However, Jaiswal, with a handsome strike rate of 161 plus in 17 T20I matches, including a hundred and four half-centuries, does have the first claim to be skipper Shubman Gill's opening partner by virtue of being the reserve opener of the first-choice T20 team.

Although rare, it is not uncommon for batters to be dropped in the very next match after a milestone innings.

As far as the changes in the playing eleven are concerned, Jaiswal is likely to replace B Sai Sudharsan, who was selected only for the first two games.

Samson will come in place of Dhruv Jurel, who had a good outing behind the stumps.

Dube, the only player who was a part of T20 World Cup playing XI, is likely to walk in to replace Riyan Parag. The imposing batter could be an even bigger nemesis for the Zimbabwean spinners during the back-10.

As far as Zimbabwe is concerned, their batting has left a lot to be desired, with scores of 115 while batting first and 134 in the second , chasing 235.

Teams (from):

India: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Khaleel Ahmed, Tushar Deshpande.

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (captain), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Antum Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba.

Match Starts at 4:30 pm IST.

VENUE AND PITCH

The Harare Sports Club has hosted 43 T20I matches out of which the team batting first has won 25. However, the captain who has won the toss has preferred to chase in 24 matches. The probability of winning the match after winning the toss is 53.5%. The average first innings score is 156/7 while the average score batting second is 138/6. The highest team score at the venue is India's 234/2 against Zimbabwe in the second T20I match of the current series whereas the lowest total is Zimbabwe's 90 against Afghanistan in 2022.

The wicket has traditionally suited the pace bowlers in Harare who have accounted for nearly 62% of the wickets at the venue at an average of 24.6, strike rate of 19.1 and economy of 7.8. However, the spinners have also got purchase at the venue with an average of 24.9 and economy rate of 7!

It could well be a case of one of the two southpaws batting and another will be dropped.. Sanju Samson, who normally bats at No. 3 for Rajasthan Royals, might come in at No.5, while Ruturaj Gaikwad, who batted at No.3, will probably drop a place to No.4.

As far as the changes in the playing eleven are concerned, Jaiswal is likely to replace B Sai Sudharsan, who was selected only for the first two games.

Dube, the only player who was a part of T20 World Cup playing XI, is likely to walk in to replace Riyan Parag. The imposing batter could be an even bigger nemesis for the Zimbabwean spinners during the back-10.

On the Harare Sports Club track where there is a bit of extra bounce available for the spinners, Ravi Bishnoi (6/24 from 8 overs) and Washington Sundar (3/39 in 8 overs) have proved to be unplayable at times.

Bishnoi, who normally bowls 20 to 22 googlies in his 24 balls per match, has varied his pace brilliantly and with home skipper Sikandar Raza being kept quiet, the other batters haven't looked good enough to counter the Indian bowling attack.

The 13-run shock defeat in the opener was a timely wake-up call for the young visiting side, and it did well to play without five specialist bowlers in the second game, where batting first became an advantage.

For skipper Gill, a good score would be a necessity after two dry games and he is just too good a player to fail thrice. That could prove to be an ominous sign for the home team bowlers, who don't have even one guy with express pace.

In a nutshell, it could be another one-sided game.

Statistical Performance (India)

1. RAVI BISHNOI

Ravi Bishnoi has been the standout bowler of the series so far with six wickets in two matches. Bishnoi will again be key in the middle overs in the third T20I.

RAVI BISHNOI IN CURRENT SERIES

INNINGS2
WICKETS6
STRIKE RATE8
ECONOMY RATE3
AVERAGE4

2. ABHISHEK SHARMA

Abhishek Sharma created history smashing the joint third-fastest T20I ton for India off just 46 deliveries in the second T20I in Harare. Abhishek was in stunning form in the IPL and annihilated the best of opposition bowlers in the powerplay.

Players Who Can Make a Difference (India)

1. Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh is the HOT PICK for India. Rinku hammered 48 runs off just 22 deliveries in the second T20I against Zimbabwe and the highlight of his innings were the five towering sixes!

2. Riyan Parag

Riyan Parag was in devastating form with the bat for the Royals in IPL 2024 and will be looking to cement a place in India's middle-order. Parag has an average of 48.45 and strike rate of 158.9 in all T20 cricket since 2023!

Statistical Performance (Zimbabwe)

1. SIKANDAR RAZA

Sikandar Raza has flopped with the bat in the first two T20Is against India and will be looking to make amends in the rest of the series. Raza is the best batter in the Zimbabwe XI with 14 T20I fifties.

2. TENDAI CHATARA

Tendai Chatara picked 3 wickets in the first T20I vs India and will be key with the new ball for Zimbabwe. Chatara has bagged 65 T20I wickets in 58 matches.

Players Who Can Make a Difference (Zimbabwe)

1. Blessing Muzarabani

Blessing Muzarabani is an exciting right-arm fast bowler who has bagged 62 wickets in 52 outings for Zimbabwe at a strike rate of 18.5 and economy of 7.29.

2. Luke Jongwe

Luke Jongwe is a wicket-taker in the T20 format and will be key with the ball for Zimbabwe. Jongwe has bagged 66 wickets in 57 T20I innings at a strike rate of 15.4.

Spinners have outperformed the fast bowlers in this series so far. They have an average of 16.4, strike rate of 14.8 and economy of just 6.7 whereas the corresponding numbers for fast bowlers are 23.9, 17.8 and 8.1!

A bright and sunny day with a maximum temperature of 26 degrees celsius is expected in Harare on Wednesday.

MATCH PREDICTION

India will start favourites in the third T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare on Wednesday. India showcased its batting might in the second T20I and the Zimbabwe bowlers had no answer to the carnage. Watch out for Riyan Parag in this match. Zimbabwe need to make inroads with the new ball if they want to compete with India. Sikandar Raza will be their playmaker in the middle-order and needs to score big on Wednesday. Based on the strength of both teams, India have a 78% chance of winning the match.

Zimbabwe will need to be smart about how they approach the remainder of this series. They'll need to keep drilling the basics - dropped catches may have exaggerated their margin of defeat in the second T20I - but they'll also need to be realistic with their ambitions and understand that young players - they left out experienced seniors such as Sean Williams and Craig Ervine for this series - will take time to come into their own.

"A lot of mistakes our youngsters have made have been due to lack of [experience] and not so much to do with their skills, so that's a positive as well," Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said after the second T20I. "As they play, as they continue to find their feet in international cricket, they'll learn. We all have been there."

In two innings so far in this series, Brian Bennett has made a 15-ball 22 and a nine-ball 26. He has shown he is one of the potential game-changers in this Zimbabwe side with his clean striking at No. 3 and his offspin, and he could yet win them a game or two in this series, particularly if he gets to spend a good amount of time at the crease.

He didn't get to play a match during India's World Cup campaign, and missed the first two games of this series because he was part of their celebrations back home. Now it's finally time for Sanju Samson. He's only played 25 T20Is in the nearly nine years since his debut, but now he's potentially locked in for three back-to-back games and will hope he can make the best of the opportunity.