3 things India need to do right to beat Zimbabwe in the 3rd T20I
After suffering a close defeat in the first T20I against Zimbabwe, Team India bounced back in the second encounter with a thumping 100-run win. That means the five-match series is deadlocked at 1-1 heading into the third T20I, to be played on Wednesday, July 10.
The Men in Blue are high on momentum following their victory, but they will know what Zimbabwe are capable of. Despite getting some reinforcements in the form of new players available for selection, they will need to be spot-on from a tactical perspective to get past the hosts.
India’s squad for the T20Is against Zimbabwe: Shubman Gill (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harshit Rana, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson (wk).
On that note, here are three things India need to do right to beat Zimbabwe in the third T20I.
#3 The batters need to understand that Harare isn't an IPL venue despite the 2nd T20I
The second T20I saw India put on an imposing 234/2, but that wasn't an accurate reflection of how the pitch played. Abhishek Sharma and Rinku Singh played blinders to get the Men in Blue to that total, which was so far above par that Zimbabwe were never going to get anywhere close.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, who struggled out in the middle for most of his innings, insisted after the game that the wicket was two-paced. He also claimed that it has something in it for both the pacers and the spinners, who have been in the game in both matches so far.
Keeping that in mind, India and their batters need to understand that the pitch at the Harare Sports Club isn't like the flat ones they were used to in the 2024 Indian Premier League despite a big score in the second T20I. They need to temper their scoring expectations accordingly.
#2 India need to bring in their big guns
This might seem obvious, but India need to call upon the experience and class of three T20 World Cup winners now that they can. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube have joined the squad, and all three are expected to take to the field in the third T20I.
It would be harsh to replace the likes of Riyan Parag, B Sai Sudharsan, and Dhruv Jurel, but this was always on the cards. The squad initially announced had the T20 World Cup-winning trio, who deserve to play now that they've made the trip to Harare. They will also be major value additions, increasing India's chances of winning.
#1 The visitors can't afford to mess up their batting order
Unfortunately, with the arrival of the incumbent stars, India will be plunged into a major batting order dilemma. The squad now has too many batters with similar strengths, whose ideal spots will be in the top four.
Given the situation, the visitors can't afford to mess up their batting order. Even if certain players aren't used to particular roles, they will need to take them up to maximize the team's utility.
For example, even though Abhishek is a quality T20 opener who smashed a century in the last game, he might need to bat in the middle order to accommodate Jaiswal and Shubman Gill at the top. The likes of Gaikwad and Samson might need to be used at positions below their ideal spots.