3 things India need to do right to beat Zimbabwe in the 1st T20I
It might seem like a low-profile rubber, but there's plenty of context ahead of the five-match India-Zimbabwe T20I series. Both teams are undergoing varying degrees of transition and have plenty to play for even though eyeballs might still be on the aftermath of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The Men in Blue are the overwhelming favorites to come out on top in the first T20, which will be played in Harare on Saturday, July 6. However, Zimbabwe have upset them before and know a thing or two about holding their own against the top teams.
So India, who have an inexperienced unit touring the African nation, can't afford any complacency. They need to be on point from a tactical perspective against a team they might not know much about.
On that note, here are three things India need to do right to beat Zimbabwe in the first T20I.
#3 India's plans need to be perfect against Sikandar Raza
Zimbabwe will be without Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, and Ryan Burl, but Sikandar Raza is a player who can win matches on his own. While his recent T20I form has been hot and cold, the all-rounder is a terrific cricketer in both departments and will be the hosts' biggest weapon.
So how can India counter Raza? Well, they can bowl hard lengths to the middle-order batter, who hasn't always been comfortable against pace. Shielding the spinners might also be a possible course of action.
Raza's bowling can be attacked by the spin hitters India have, including Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The rest of the batters aren't handicapped against spin either, and hitting the skipper out of the attack could cause the Zimbabwe bowling unit to unravel.
#2 The top order needs to be wary of Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani
Zimbabwe have two canny operators with the new ball in the form of Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani. The duo can get the ball to move both ways in the powerplay, with the former even having a left-arm angle to call upon.
Gill, Abhishek, and Gaikwad haven't been the most assured against lateral movement, particularly the latter two. If they go searching for balls away from their body, India could find themselves a few wickets down in the powerplay, which is never a good situation to be in.
India have the freedom to be slightly more circumspect against Ngarava and Muzarabani while taking the attack to the other bowlers.
#1 India can't afford to adopt an over-the-top batting approach
While India can and should be positive with the bat, Harare isn't a particularly high-scoring venue. The par score is expected to be in the 150-160 range, and the Men in Blue must be cognizant of that fact when they face off against Zimbabwe in the first T20I.
Moreover, without many all-rounders in the mix, India are likely to have Washington Sundar at No. 7 and bowlers to follow. Batting depth won't be one of their assets in the series opener, and going too hard at the top could prove detrimental to their chances of a comfortable win.
India need to find the requisite balance between attack and defense, something that wasn't necessary for most parts of IPL 2024.