HARARE: With India looking to win the T20I series, Zimbabwe would hope to dig deep into their experience and keep it alive as both teams gear up to square off against each other in the 4th T20I on Saturday.
It will be a T20I fest on Saturday and Sunday, with India and Zimbabwe competing at the Harare Sports Club for the final two T20Is of the five-match series.
The Shubman Gill-led side stepped into the first T20I, banking on youth and talent rather than experience. The lack of game experience contributed to their defeat in the series opener. But India learned quickly and bounced back in the second T20I with a thumping 100-run victory.
The third T20I saw the arrival of the experienced trio of Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson and Yahasvi Jaiswal, adding another layer of depth to the Indian squad. Zimbabwe faced defeat again as India effortlessly took a 2-1 lead with a comfortable 23-run win over the hosts.
The hosts have struggled to find balance in their team, with skipper Sikandar Raza pointing out their experimentation in the past in the opening slot to find stability. Despite missing key players, Raza believes there is enough quality to stun the Indian side that brims with talent and thrives on a stable set-up.
Apart from their struggles with the bat, Zimbabwe’s woes have increased due to their wayward fielding throughout the series. It became evident when the hosts dropped four catches in the second T20I and another three in the third T20I. There were also a couple of half-chances and fielding lapses, which left them in a difficult situation.
Zimbabwe will look to cause trouble to the Indian side with their star bowler in the series Blessing Muzarabani. The 27-year-old pacer boasts pace and consistency during his four-over spell and has picked up four scalps in three games at an economy rate of 6.00, the best by a pacer across both teams.
For India, Washington Sundar has been the go-to player for skipper Gill, especially after the powerplay. In the middle overs, he varied his pace and walked away with five wickets, conceding runs only at an economy of 4.60. He is the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series with a tally of six alongside his fellow spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
Zimbabwe squad: Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Johnathan Campbell, Clive Madande (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Brandon Mavuta, Innocent Kaia, Faraz Akram, Antum Naqvi
India squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (c), Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson(w), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, (ANI)