India vs Zimbabwe 2016: Probable Playing 11 for India and Zimbabwe for 2nd ODI
India take on Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club for the second one-day international of the 3 match series after comfortably beating the hosts in the first game at the same venue. The Zimbabwe cricket team is going through a phase of transmission which saw Dav Whatmore lose his job as Head Coach and Makhaya Ntini being appointed as interim coach and Graeme Cremer named the captain.
Cremer and Ntini will look to bring back some of the lost glory of Zimbabwe Cricket Team and after losing their first game against inexperienced Indian side, the second one-day international is a must win encounter for Cremer and co. if they are to stay alive in the series.
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Zimbabwe Cricket fans will be apprehensive though whether Ntini’s boys have it in them to upset the Indians after their lacklustre display in the first ODI.
It has almost become a ritual for the Indian team to test their bench strength against Zimbabwe and named three of their regular starters in the first game. Lokesh Rahul stole the headlines with his century in his debut but the Indian bowlers were brilliant with ball in hand.
The pacers picked up 8 wickets, with Bumrah leading the pack by picking up 4. Yuzvendra Chahal too made his debut for India along with Lokesh Rahul and Karun Nair and the leggie was impressive, giving away only 27 runs and picking up a wicket. India will look to continue with their good form and seal the series with a win tomorrow.
Let’s check out which 11 players both sides are likely to field for the Second One Day International.
Zimbabwe
Batsmen: Peter Moor and Chamu Chibhabha are likely to continue with their roles of opening the batting. While Moor will look to make amends after failing in the first game, Chibhabha who scored 13 of 42 balls in the first game will have to up the scoring rate and make sure not to give away his wicket cheaply after his getting his eye in.
Hamilton Masakadza has to be one of the brightest talents that have emerged from Zimbabwean cricket in the recent past and he will have to deliver the goods in the second match if Zimbabwe hope to score more than 168.
Expect him to walk in at number 3. Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine both got starts in the first game but then failed to score big and they are likely to come in at number 4 and 5 respectively and provide solidarity to the middle order.
Richmond Mutumbami, the wicket-keeper batsman has been recently named vice-captain of the side and got off to a start in the first game but going with the trend, failed to score big. He might be walking into bat at number 6.
All-Rounders: The Zimbabwean squad boasts of a number of all-rounders, with Elton Chigumbura being one of the most prominent and important names among them. The hard-hitting batsman is handy with the bat and very reliable with the ball.
He was the highest scorer for Zimbabwe in the first ODI and expect some fireworks from him at Harare again. Chibhabha will open the batting but the opening batsman can also bowl at medium pace and is one of the go to bowlers for Cremer.
Bowlers: Captain and leg-break bowler Graeme Cremer will expect a better performance from his bowlers in the second one-day international. They managed to pick up only a single wicket in the first match and will look to better that on Monday.
Tendai Chatara picked up that wicket and the 25-year-old fast bowler will share the new ball with Muzarabani. Both Muzarabani and Cremer, who missed out on wickets in the first game will look to make amends in the second one.
Probable Playing 11: A Cremer (c), C Chibhabha, H Masakadza, R Mutumbami, V Sibanda, C Ervine, Sikandar Raza, P Moor, E Chigumbura, T Muzarabani, T Chatara
India
Batsmen: After their brilliant display in the first game Indian won’t look to change their squad given MS Dhoni’s tendency to hold onto the winning 11. So, Rahul and Karun Nair is likely to open the batting and Rahul, who has been in great touch since the IPL and followed it up with a century in his debut and will look to keep the good touch going.
Nair failed to impress in his debut but expect him to be among the runs if given the nod for the second game. Ambati Rayudu made sure no other Indian batsmen had to go through the trouble of padding up as he and Rahul took India home and the Mumbai Indians man is likely to come in at number 3.
Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni will likely make up the Indian middle order and if the need comes expect them to score big.
All-Rounder: Axar Patel, the left-arm spinner and batsman is the only all-rounder, who is likely to start. Axar was brilliant with the ball giving away only 26 runs and picking up a wicket. He didn’t get a chance with the bat in the first but if the need comes the all-rounder from Gujarat can hit the cricket ball long.
Bowlers: Barinder Sran and Dhawal Kulkarni will share the new ball duties for India and both of them picked up a couple of wickets in the first game. Jasprit Bumrah stole the limelight with his 4 wickets and India owed it to their pacers for restricting Zimbabwe to a paltry score of 168 in 50 overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal made his International debut and the leg-spinner who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 9 had an outstanding debut game giving away runs at an economy of 2.7 and picking up a wicket and Indian Cricket fans will expect more such performance from the leggie.
Probable Playing 11: MS Dhoni(C and WK), Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal