IND vs ZIM 3rd T20 Preview
With the return of the T20 World Cup-winning players, it will be a tough task for the Indian team to select between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Sharma for the third T20 match against Zimbabwe here on Wednesday.
Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dubey were part of the Indian team in the T20 World Cup. Their return has strengthened the team, which made a comeback in the series by winning the second match by 100 runs. Left-handed opener Abhishek scored a century in 46 balls in the second match. However, being the reserve opener in India’s first choice T20 team, Jaiswal’s claim to open the innings with Shubman Gill seems strong.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored runs in 17 T20 matches with a century and four half-centuries at a strike rate of over 161. However, it does not happen that after playing a memorable innings, the batsman is dropped in the next match. However, Manoj Tiwari and Karun Nair have faced this. Tiwari was dropped from the team after his first ODI century against West Indies in 2011, while Nair could not find a place in the team after scoring a triple century in the Test against England in 2016.
However, captain Gill will not let this injustice happen to his best friend of under 14 days. In such a situation, one of the two left-handed batsmen will have to come down in the batting order. Samson, who batted at number three in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals, may have to come down to number five and Ruturaj Gaikwad can be fielded at number four. Jaiswal may get the place of B Sai Sudarshan in the final XI, who was selected only for the first two matches. At the same time, Samson will get the place of Dhruv Jurel. Shivam Dubey, who was part of the final XI in the T20 World Cup, can be fielded in place of Riyan Parag.
As far as Zimbabwe is concerned, it will have to improve its batting. Spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar were finding it difficult to play in the extra bounce on the pitch of Harare Sports Club. Host captain Sikandar Raza is not able to walk while the rest of the batsmen do not seem capable of facing the Indian bowlers. After suffering an unexpected defeat by 13 runs in the first match, the Indian team woke up in time and played with five specialist bowlers. Captain Gill will have to play a good innings after the failure in the first two matches.
Squad of India and Zimbabwe
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dubey, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Khalil Ahmed, Tushar Deshpande.
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (captain), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Jonathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive M, Wesley Medhevere, T Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brendon Mavuta, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Antam Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba.