India look to stamp authority in ODI series after Zimbabwe’s clean sweep in T20Is

VADODARA: A dominant Indian team under new skipper Smriti Mandhana will look for another clean sweep against a lowly Zimbabwe when the two teams face off in the opening ODI of the three-match series starting here on Friday.

India crushed Zimbabwe 3-0 for a perfect start to Mandhana’s captaincy stint and the same would be expected from the reigning ODI world champions when they take the field here at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi.

Former captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s return to form would be the biggest positive for India heading into the ODI series, as they would also hope for a quick fix to the void created by the absence of Jemimah Rodrigues in the middle order.

Sidelined by a hamstring injury, Jemimah's absence provided India with an opportunity to juggle their options in the T20Is, and the task will remain the same for the think tank, which would at least have two experienced campaigners to work with at the No. 3 slot.

While India had Anushka Sharma and Niki Prasad to work with in the T20Is, the ODI mix has Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal to fill the No. 3 slot. However, neither Harleen nor Pratika is a great enforcer with the bat, which means Harmanpreet would be needed to up the ante.

Having lacked both opportunities and time in the middle in the recent competitions, Harmanpreet blazed her way to a 41-ball 91 with 10 fours and five sixes in the final T20I to roar back into form.

As a specialist batter, Harmanpreet remains a vital cog in that middle-order which has at times struggled to assert itself in the 50-overs format. Her explosive batting, without the added pressure of captaincy, could be another weapon in India's arsenal.

At the top, a red-hot Shafali Verma poses the biggest threat to Zimbabwe, while in the bowling department, 10 overs from the immaculate Shree Charani would keep the Zimbabwean think tank on its toes.

It will be the first series in charge as full-time ODI captain for Mandhana, who did not bat in the final T20I in the team’s bid to experiment with their playing combinations.

Even as they could not trouble India much, there were some positives for the visitors in this first-ever bilateral affair between the two nations.

Zimbabwe’s fielding was very impressive across the three T20Is in Raipur, and despite India’s bowling depth and skills, they were not bowled out even once.

Kelis Ndhlovu looked to impose herself at the top with some attractive stroke play, but it was Sharne Mayers who made a strong impact with scores of 60 in the final T20I and 43 in the first match.

Among bowlers, Beloved Biza’s six wickets, including four wickets in the final T20I, and Nyasha Gwanzura’s positive showings with the ball will carry significance for the visitors.

Teams (from):

India: Smriti Mandhana (c), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pratika Rawal, Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma (vc), Harmanpreet Kaur, Sayali Satghare, Shafali Verma, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma.

Zimbabwe: Josephine Nkomo (c), Chiedza Dhururu (wk), Sharne Mayers, Modester Mupachikwa (wk), Beloved Biza, Nyasha Gwanzura, Michelle Mavunga, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Kelis Ndhlovu, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Francisca Chipare, Tendai Makusha, Loryn Phiri, Nomvelo Sibanda.

Match starts at 2:00pm IST.