Zimbabwe's 3 best performers against India of all-time ft. Heath Streak
The five-match T20I series between India and Zimbabwe promises to be an exciting contest between both young sides. The Men in Blue have rested their experienced players, while Zimbabwe's veteran players, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams were also notable absentees from their squad.
In eight head-to-head T20I games, the Indian team have emerged victorious in six encounters. The last T20I game saw India dominate Zimbabwe by 71 runs in 2022 T20 World Cup.
Historically, both teams have played 11 Test matches, with India winning seven games and two ending as a draw. On the other hand, the Indian side has again the upper hand with 54 victories in 66 ODIs.
However, all through all these years, there have been notable performances by Zimbabwean players across all formats. Let's take a look at the three best performances by their players.
#3 Andy Flower - 2,436 runs
The left-handed batter is the leading run-getter across all formats for Zimbabwe with 11,580 runs at an average of 40.63, with 82 fifties and 16 centuries.
Out of this tally, Andy Flower has amassed 2,436 runs against the Indian team, with 1,138 runs coming in Tests and 1,298 runs in ODIs. He ranks first among the highest run-scorers between India and Zimbabwe.
Interestingly, Andy's best knock of 232* off 444 balls came against India in November 2000 in Nagpur. His 209-run stand with Alistair Campbell saved the Zimbabwean team from a certain loss, as they were enforced a follow-on.
#2 Heath Streak - 69 wickets & 807 runs
Heath Streak is regarded as the greatest all-rounder produced by Zimbabwe, due to his ability to provide clutch contributions for his team. He garnered 4,891 runs and is the highest wicket-taker for the country across all formats with 455 scalps in 254 games.
Through his illustrious career, the skilled all-rounder took 69 wickets and scored 807 runs against India. In February 1997, Streak finished with figures of 5/32 in an ODI fixture to help Zimbabwe secure a eight-wicket victory over the Men in Blue. Furthermore, Streak's best figures in Tests came against India, where he claimed figures of 6/73 in September 2005.
Unfortunately, he died in September 2023 at the age of 49 due to advanced liver and colon cancer.
#1 Grant Flower - 1,730 runs & 25 wickets
The right-handed batter and a left-arm spinner ranks as the best performer for Zimbabwe across all formats against India due to his contributions in both departments.
Grant Flower garnered 10,028 runs in 288 games at an average of 32.03, with 55 fifties and 12 centuries. He picked up a total of 129 wickets, with the best figures of 4/32.
Flower finished with tally of 1,730 runs and 25 wickets against the Indian outfit. His finest knock of 106* off 196 in the longest format came in November 2000 in Nagpur.