3 things to look forward to in the 2nd India vs Zimbabwe T20I ft. Parag, Abhishek & Jurel bouncing back
The stage is set at the Harare Sports Club! Zimbabwe, by beating India by 13 runs in the series opener, have opened up a pandora's box of possibilities. The two teams will enter Round 2 on Sunday, July 7, with contrasting ambitions.
For India, it will be a case of proving to the world that although they're fielding an inexperienced squad, they're still the T20 World Cup champions. Sikandar Raza was quick to touch upon this in the post-match presentation of the first T20I, and there's every chance that the Men in Blue will recover.
For Zimbabwe, meanwhile, it'll be a matter of sustaining the positive wave and potentially eking out another famous result in front of a colorful home crowd in Harare. Raza mentioned that the job isn't finished, and unless they turn up as the best versions of themselves, it won't be anytime soon.
On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the second T20I between India and Zimbabwe.
#3 How will Shubman Gill and VVS Laxman respond?
VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid have adopted similar methodologies over their respective overlapping tenures as Indian head coach. Selection policies have been fairly consistent, and the panic button has been shelved away for another day.
Shubman Gill, while still young, seems to have a calm head on his shoulders. He doesn't seem the type to be trigger-happy with his decisions, although Ashish Nehra's Gujarat Titans were a touch inconsistent with their planning and execution.
How will Gill bounce back on Sunday? What will the Laxman-led think tank do? Ideally, India shouldn't make any changes and should keep faith in the players who took to the field in the series opener.
Gill looked disconsolate after the first T20I, and he will certainly be raring to notch up his maiden international win as captain.
#2 Can Zimbabwe's youngsters impress once again in Harare?
Zimbabwe are going through a transition period, and with that comes a slew of excitement.
Wessly Madhevere caressed the first ball of the series opener down the ground for four to make his intentions clear. Brian Bennett played his shots and chipped in with an invaluable wicket maiden in the chase. Dion Myers played an important hand in the middle order.
Zimbabwe's next-gen cricketers are here, and they're here to stay. They'll want to put on another show in front of their fans, who are already well and truly behind them.
#1 The debutants of the 1st T20I are too good not to bounce back
The same is true for India, who handed out three caps in the first T20I. Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel all played poor shots to be dismissed, but they're too talented to be out of the runs for long.
Can Abhishek, Parag, and Jurel bounce back and make sizeable contributions? The smart money would be on them doing so. For a team needing an infusion of youth, the trio's performances will be watched closely.