IndVsZim, 1st ODI: A tour of Expectations  

Harare: MS Dhoni will be at test both as a batsman and as a captain. As a batsman because his recent form has far from being inspiring and as captain because he is leading an absolutely raw team in T20 and ODI series in the Zimbabwe.

It will be an onerous task for Dhoni as he remains the only experienced player in the side having played 275 One Day Internationals as compared to 83 matches played by the combine of all other players. Fans must be expecting some nail-biting cricketing action in the first ODI against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

In the absence of some big names, young Indian brigade will try their best to overpower the Zimbabwe at their home ground.

India-

• MS Dhoni will be judged less as a skipper more as a batsman.
• The match-finisher can promote himself up in the absence of players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
• Talented Manish Pandey will leave no stone unturned to cement his place in the regular playing eleven.
• Will be interesting to see transformation of KL Rahul, who played some match winning knocks in the IPL 2016, in the shorter version of the game.
• Debutant Faiz Fazal is a specialist opener and alucky one to get the opportunity.
• Ambati Rayudu and Karun Nair will look for translating their IPL performances here also.
• The tour will be a proving ground for Mandeep Singh and Kedar Jadhav.
• Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan have to show that they are not the surprise selections
• Yuzvendra Chahal, Jayant Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Dhawal Kulkarni and Axar Patel will be the bowling weapons for the Indian skipper.

Zimbabwe-

• The team has remained inconsistent as lacks team work.
• But they store few players in the form of Vusimuzi Sibanda, Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza, Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams, who can turn the game around against inexperienced Indian side.
• Chigumbura will be skipper Graeme Cremer’s main tool against the Indians.

Teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wk), KL Rahul, Faiz Fazal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Mandeep Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Axar Patel.

Zimbabwe: Graeme Cremer (captain), Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Tendai Chisoro, Craig Ervine, Neville Madziva, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Wellington Masakadza, Peter Moor, Twanada Mupariwa, Richard Mutumbami (wk), Taurai Muzarabani, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Sean Williams.