IND vs ZIM: The young Indian team are on their way to play their first ever international series together. Shubman Gill will be playing his first game as an Indian captain, where he will lead a young lot of Indian superstars. They will face Zimbabwe in the first game of the five-match T20 series on Saturday at Harare Sports Club. The challenge will be tough because Zimbabwe have their main players that will be playing in the series.
Hence, it will be an exciting series. But India have selected two different sides for the first two games and the next three matches, with three changes. Hence, there will be some areas where Team India need to do well in the first game. In this article, we will talk about three areas that need to be addressed by the team in the first IND vs ZIM game on Saturday.
3 Areas India need to resolve in the first IND vs ZIM T20I on Saturday
1. Bowling Combination
The current side doesn’t have Bumrah, Kuldeep, Arshdeep, or Axar. Hence, it will be an inexperienced bowling unit. Washington Sundar is the most experienced bowler, but he hasn’t played for a while now. The pace attack will have Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed, who were in travel reserve. Mukesh Kumar will be the death bowler, with Ravi Bishnoi as the leg spinner. Some of them will be playing this format regularly. Hence, India need to find the right bowling combination that can do well because none of these bowlers can bat, and India will have a long tail.
2. The Suitable Top Order
India have Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, and Sai Sudharsan for the opening slot. But they have to pick the right top order according to the conditions. Gill is expected to open, but who will be his partner? Sudharshan has batted in no. 3 or 4, so he can shift. Then, one of Gaikwad and Abhishek needs to come to No. 3. However, Abhishek can give an explosive option at the top, and he is also a left-hander. But it will be a tough call for the management because Yashasvi Jaiswal will join the team in the third IND vs ZIM game.
3. Middle Order Worries
The middle order will be very inexperienced for India. Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, and one of Dhurv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma might bat in the middle. This will leave India with very little experience. Rinku has played some matches; he has been on the bench for a long time now, and he didn’t get many games in the IPL 2024 as well. Sanju Samson will join in the third game, but until then, the pressure will be on the middle order.
Also Read: 3 Indian Stars who might not get a game in five-match IND vs ZIM T20 Series