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Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Floundering Zimbabwe target upset in decider

Match facts

Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Start time 1300 local (1100 GMT)

Big Picture

If Zimbabwe had a time machine, they would rewind to Saturday, June 18, 2016. Amid the adversity of non-engaged spectators and their prior 3-0 thrashing in the ODI series, Neville Madziva gave Zimbabwe's supporters a reason for song and dance. Even interim coach Makhaya Ntini couldn't stop himself from busting out a celebratory jig after his side won the first T20I of the three-match series.

Two days later, Zimbabwe slumped to their fourth collapse in five limited-overs matches against India this month. To "compete with the big boys" in the series decider on Wednesday, Zimbabwe will have to strive for positive consistency, at least in performance if not results. Despite India's ten-wicket victory in the second T20I, the hosts have a compelling opportunity - they are yet to win a T20I series of two or more matches.

All to play for then? India wouldn't mind finding themselves in such a situation. "It is a good learning curve for the youngsters, providing they're learning out of it. When some of these players play for India consistently, they will feel the pressure and that is where a game or tour like this will help," MS Dhoni said at the post-match conference after the first T20 which India lost by two runs. On the only occasion India have been challenged on this tour, the batsmen failed to chase.

After India handed five caps in the first T20I, they handed two more to Barinder Sran and Dhawal Kulkarni and both bowlers set the tone for the side's largest win in the format. In the process, India adopted arguably their best bowling combination in this squad. India's settled batting line-up meant Zimbabwe had to find another day and another way to get through them. Will Wednesday be different?

Form guide

Zimbabwe: LWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WLLWW

In the spotlight

With the bat, Sikandar Raza has propelled Zimbabwe's innings on numerous occasions with an intent that forces bowlers to fiddle with their lengths. In his last 12 T20Is, however, he has scored 92 runs at an average of 7.66, with a highest of 20. A significant contribution could go a long way towards setting Zimbabwe up for a grandstand finish.

India's seamers Barinder Sran, Dhawal Kulkarni and Jasprit Bumrah claimed combined figures of 8 for 53 in 12 overs on Monday. A discernible pattern - swinging the newer ball followed by a variety of slower offcutters and wide yorkers towards the end - left Zimbabwe defenceless.

Team news

Richmond Mutumbami's hip injury meant Peter Moor came into Zimbabwe's XI as designated wicketkeeper for the second match. He top-scored with 31. The management could contemplate dropping allrounder Tinotenda Mutombodzi, who has scores of 3 and 0 in this series.

Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Peter Moor, 4 Sikandar Raza, 5 Malcolm Waller (wk), 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Tinotenda Mutombodzi/Timycen Maruma, 8 Graeme Cremer (capt), 9 Neville Madziva, 10 Taurai Muzarabani, 11 Donald Tiripano

With the series on the line, India are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination.

India (probable): 1 KL Rahul, 2 Mandeep Singh, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Dhawal Kulkarni, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Barinder Sran

Pitch and conditions

For both T20s so far, the boundaries were brought in significantly at the Harare Sports Club. If Zimbabwe's top order fires, the series decider could be a high-scoring encounter.

Stats and trivia

  • Jasprit Bumrah needs three more wickets to equal Dirk Nannes' record for most T20I wickets in a year. Nannes took 27 in 2010. Bumrah has 24 from 18 matches this year.

  • The decider will be Masakadza's 50th T20I. He will become the first Zimbabwean to play 50 or more T20Is.

  • India had never won a T20I by ten wickets before the second match.

Lowest

141

Previous lowest total defended by India in T20Is - vs Pak for a tie in WT20 2007. The previous lowest total successfully defended was 146 vs Ban in 2016 WT20.

Zimbabwe ahead

59/2

Zimbabwe's score at the end of 10th over. At the same stage, India were 53 for 3.

Masakadza's feat

1

No. of players who have appeared in 50 or more T20Is for Zimbabwe. Hamilton Masakadza becomes the first to play that many T20Is for his country.

Late Blast

43

Runs scored by India in the last 3 overs of the innings - 16 runs in 18th over, 11 in 19th and 16 in 20th. They had scored just 42 runs in 7 overs before that.

MS Dhoni is out

5

No. of consecutive T20I inns where MS Dhoni remained not out, before getting out in this match. His scores in those inns: 13*, 13*, 18*, 15* and 19*.

Career-bests

19

The previous highest score in T20Is for Rayudu and Jadhav. Both the batsmen have gone past that score in this match.

False start

0

No. of times India lost 3 or more wickets in the Powerplays against Zimbabwe in T20Is, in 7 matches. 29 is India's joint 4th-lowest powerplay score in T20Is.

First time on the tour

0

No. of times India batted first on this tour, before this T20I. Zimbabwe batted first in all 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is. They elected to field in this T20I.

Dhoni at the top

324

No. of international matches captained by MS Dhoni, which equals Ricky Ponting's tally at the top of the list