IND Vs ZIM 1st ODI: Predicted Playing XI, Timing, and Pitch Report

India will play against Zimbabwe in the first match of the India Tour of Zimbabwe 2022 in Harare. With Deepak Chahar back in the squad, will India outperform Zimbabwe or shatter their winning streak?

Under the leadership of KL Rahul, the Indian Cricket team would be facing Regis Chakabava's Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series. India is currently ranked 3rd in One Day International, 2nd in Test Cricket, and on the top in T20 rankings. This match between underdogs Zimbabwe against dominant India would be a deciding factor for India's performance in the upcoming tournaments, which also include Asia Cup and ICC Men's T20 world cup.

Also read | ZIM vs IND 1st ODI: Predicted playing 11, toss timing, and latest team news

India's tour of Zimbabwe might reveal some new game-changers for India. In 2022, India has already defeated England and West Indies on their home turf, making them the favourites against the much weaker Zimbabwe. However, the unpredictability of cricket can give some surprising results.

As usual, India would heavily rely on their batsmen whereas the return of Deepak Chahar and KL Rahul would be vital for team India. Apart from these two, Shubman Gill's impressive run against West Indies implies that KL could move to 3rd or 4th position in the batting lineup.

Zimbabwe Cricket Team might not be the best on papers, yet their quality players like Sikander Raza and Regis Chakabva have the potential to demolish India's hope for another triumph. Read this article further to know the predicted XI, match timings, and pitch report.

IND Vs ZIM 2022: Predicted Playing XI

India Cricket Team Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (captain), Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav/Shahbaz Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj/Deepak Chahar

Zimbabwe Cricket Team Predicted XI: Tadiwanashe Marumani, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Innocent Kaia, Wesley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Tony Munyonga, Luke Jongwe, Brad Evans, Victor Nyauchi, Tanaka Chivanga

IND Vs ZIM: When and where will the match be played?

As India would be touring Zimbabwe, there will be a time difference of 3 hours and 30 minutes. However, you can watch the live telecast on Sony Sports Network channels. And, the live streaming of matches will be available on the Sony Liv app and the official Sony Liv website.

The match will start at 9.15 AM Local Time at Harare Sports Club in Harare, Zimbabwe. The timings for Indian viewers will be 12.45 PM IST.

IND Vs ZIM: What is the pitch's situation?

The pitch at the Harare Sports Club is a seamer and spinner-friendly surface. Despite being friendly for spinners, it is a neutral venue where you rarely witness any high-scoring contests. The average 1st innings total in ODI here is 231 while the average second innings total is 195. Thus, the team batting first would have a better advantage, if they put some runs on the board. The highest total ever recorded here is 350 runs by Australia against Zimbabwe.

IND Vs ZIM: How is the weather situation?

The expected temperature is somewhere around 26-degree celsius with 22 percent humidity and wind speed of up to 8km per hour. Hence, there are fewer chances of rain during the game.

IND Vs ZIM: Who has an upperhand?

India is the favorite in this match, as they have 51 out of 63 ODIs played against Zimbabwe, while Zimbabwe won only 10 games and the remaining two games were no result or tie.

With the strong bowling and batting lineup, India would rely on Chahar, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill to dominate the game, whereas Zimbabwe would rely on Sikander Raza and Regis Chakabva a lot.

(Written by Zuhair Zaidi )