Zimbabwe were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of India in a one-sided series opener. India chased down a modest total on Thursday afternoon and could seal the series in Harare on Saturday
Zimbabwe vs India | 20 August 2022 | Harare Sports Club, Harare | 09:15
To Win Match
Zimbabwe 13/1 | Tie 25/1 | India 1/33
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe appeared to be caught off guard by the aggressive approach of the India fast bowlers in the series opener.
The hosts’ top order was blown away and they never really had a shot at victory despite some stubborn resistance from the tail.
A player like Innocence Kaia needs to find a way to assert himself to make an impact in ODI cricket against the world’s best.
The bowlers were used in a scattershot fashion and were unable to make an impression on the tourists at all and that needs to change.
India
Deepak Chahar struck the first blows for India and did his bid for more game time no harm in Thursday’s showdown.
Zimbabwe found Kuldeep Yadav nearly unplayable and despite his lack of a wicket he really kept the pressure on the hosts.
Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill put in a flawless opening batting performance to knock off the target in good clip.
It appeared that Ishan Kishan was set for a middle order role but he didn’t get to wield the willow.
Verdict: India 1/33
It really looks like there can be only one winner here. More value on India to get the higher opening-wicket partnership at 33/100.
