IND vs ZIM 2022: "I would like to see that" - Maninder Singh on whether Team India should bat first in the 2nd ODI
Maninder Singh wants Team India to bat first in the second ODI against Zimbabwe to even out the contest between the two sides.
Indian skipper KL Rahul opted to bowl first after winning the toss in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday, August 18. The Men in Blue then dismissed the hosts for just 189 runs and chased down the below-par target with all 10 wickets to spare to register an emphatic win.
During a post-match discussion on Sony Sports, Maninder was asked if the visitors should consider batting first in the next game. He replied:
"I would like to see that, to be very honest, because playing in difficult conditions, it will be a test for you. I think India batting first if Zimbabwe wins the toss or India wins the toss, whoever wins the toss, probably there might be some competition you could see in the middle."
Maninder highlighted that the pitch easing out as the match progresses will help Zimbabwe put up a fight if they bat second. The former Indian spinner observed:
"We saw in the later overs when the surface dried up, it became good for batting. So I think that would really balance the match if India bats first. I would really like to see that so that we could see some competition on the field."
Would like to see India challenge themselves and bat first, if the opportunity arises, in the next two ODIs in Zimbabwe.
The Harare pitch certainly assisted the seamers in the first half of the Zimbabwe innings on Thursday. The Indian seamers made the best use of it to reduce the hosts to 110/8 at one stage before a 70-run partnership for the ninth wicket gave some respectability to the score.
"The first aim is to win the series" - Maninder Singh on whether Team India should make any changes for the 2nd ODI
Maninder was also asked whether Team India should give opportunities to some of the fringe players, considering the strength of the Zimbabwe side. He responded:
"The first aim is to win the series. So I don't see any changes in the second ODI. But if they win the second ODI, then probably you might see some changes in the third ODI but the first focus should be on winning the series."
Maninder added that despite the seemingly weak opposition, the visitors should not experiment too much before closing out the series. The 57-year-old said:
"Against Zimbabwe, you might think that if you play another couple of players instead of the ones who played today, you would still win, but I would still go in with the same team and win the series first."
Rahul Tripathi has waited for a long time to get a maiden India call up and now looks like he has to wait equally long to get his debut 🥲
Avesh Khan, Shardul Thakur, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi and Shahbaz Ahmed are the five players who didn't make India's XI for the first ODI. None of them are likely to get a look-in in the second game, to be played at the same venue on Saturday, August 20, unless there are any injury concerns for the incumbent players.