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Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
ZIMBABWE interim cricket coach Makhaya Ntini is targeting a series win over India when the two teams meet in the three match One Day International series at Harare Sports Club this morning. Addressing the media at the match venue yesterday, Ntini, holding fort since the sacking of Australian Davenell Whatmore at the end of last month, believes there was no reason why they cannot achieve a series victory over India.
The odds are heavily stacked against Zimbabwe as India holds the upper hand in previous meetings between the two teams since 1983. In 60 ODIs between the two nations, India have triumphed 48 times while Zimbabwe have only won 10 times with two producing a no result.
Last year, India clean swept Zimbabwe 3-0 at home in the ODIs and it is something Ntini is looking to avoid if he wants to increase his prospects of getting the job left after the firing of Whatmore.
What could give Zimbabwe hope of beating India is the fact that the Asians have rested their established players for the tour, instead picking a squad packed with youngsters. While the squad will be led by longtime captain, the 34-year old Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has played 275 ODIs, the remaining 15 squad members have a collective tally of 83 ODIs. Five members of the squad – Yuzvendra Chahal, Faiz Fazal, Mandeep Singh, Karun Nair and Jayant Yadav have not played any international cricket.
In 2010, Zimbabwe punished India for sending a young side led by Suresh Raina for a triangular series which also featured Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe defeated India by six wickets at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo and then recorded a seven wicket victory at Harare Sports Club to book a place in the final where they went down by nine wickets to Sri Lanka.
“Winning the series, that’s my achievement it’s one of the major things in any coach, captain even from the players’ point of view they want to win. As a head coach I want to win. There’s no such thing as it’s impossible, it can be done. We got players that are there, they’re ready. We’ve the likes of Hamilton who has played cricket more than any one of them. We’ve Vusi, Cremer, this country it’s a country that has really been ignored for such a long time, so now guys are hungry they’ll show that they’re hungry. They’re going to win,’’ said Ntini.
The former South African bowler declared that they want to send a message to other international teams not to send inexperienced players to Zimbabwe as they want to clobber them.
New captain Graeme Cremer said despite a new coaching set up, the players are pulling together to get the results the team needs. He disclosed that his teammates have made it easy for him to lead the team as he has played with most of them for a long time and the objective was to win games now not to just compete as all the players know their roles in the team.
Despite being stripped of the captaincy which has been given to Cremer, Hamilton Masakadza carries Zimbabwe’s hopes with the bat together with Sean Williams, Vusumuzi Sibanda, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Sikandar Raza, wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami, Craig Ervine, Elton Chigumbura and Peter Moor.
Fast bowler Tinashe Panyangara with 64 wickets from the same number of ODIs is ruled out by a back injury. This gives an opportunity to Tawanda Mupariwa, who last played an international match for his country more than a year ago to prove himself at a ground where he has taken more ODI wickets than any other venue. Mupariwa should be ably assisted in the seamers department by Taurai Muzarabani, Donald Tiripano, Tendai Chatara, Neville Madziva and Chigumbura.
Cremer has a massive role to play with his leg spin while left arm spinner Wellington Masakadza also has a crucial role in the bowling department. Timycen Maruma has evolved into an all rounder from a leg spinner and if selected he has the ability to produce with both bat and ball.
Indian head coach for the tour Sanjay Bangar said they have a talented bunch of cricketers eager to prove themselves in the national side and will play with the expected tenacity of them in international cricket.
Zimbabwe squad: Graeme Cremer (captain), Tendai Chatara, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Craig Ervine, Neville Madziva, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Wellington Masakadza, Taurai Muzarabani, Richmond Mutumbami (wicketkeeper), Peter Moor, Tawanda Mupariwa, Vusumuzi Sibanda, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Sean Williams
India squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Lokesh Rahul(wicketkeeper), Faiz Fazal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Ambati Rayudu, Rishi Dhawan, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal.
derick.khumalo