What First match of the three-ODI series between Zimbabwe and India When July 10, Friday, 12:30 IST | 07:00 GMT Where Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe The Teams Zimbabwe The team from Africa has been at the receiving end against their opponents for quite a while now. However, in their last ODI series, in Pakistan, Zimbabwe showed that they are not complete pushovers and are capable of putting up a fight. Their batting has come good of late but it’s their bowling that has let them down. Even without a majority of their first-choice ODI batsmen India will be a huge challenge for the Zimbabwe bowlers. On the batting front the team has been doing much better with captain Elton Chigumbura, Sikandar Raza and Chamunorwa Chibhabha faring well against the superior Pakistan attack. If they capitalise on their good batting form and improve their bowling a touch, Zimbabwe will provide India with good competition. India The loss against Bangladesh is behind them and the squad they have taken to Zimbabwe is fresh and hungry. It comprises of some youngsters who are eager to make their mark at the international level as well as some experienced ones looking to regain their place in the team – a combination that can very well manifest into a blend of youthfulness and sagacity on the field. A new captain in Ajinkya Rahane will make things more interesting and novel in the Indian camp. One of the first decisions Rahane will have to make as the captain is choosing the wicketkeeper as three players in the squad – Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav – are capable of donning the keeping gloves. By the looks of the team’s training session on the eve of the first ODI, it can be surmised that Uthappa will do the honours. Key players Zimbabwe Elton Chigumbura has led the team from the front with decent number of runs under his belt, including a century in the first ODI against Pakistan. He is also one of the more experienced players in their side and the onus will be on him to instill confidence in his troops. The best way he can do it is by carrying the team’s innings on his shoulders and showing them the way forward. He will also be one of the main players in the team that the Indians will be wary of. India Ajinkya Rahane has admirably grown as one of the mainstays of the Indian batting line-up in all formats. After being dropped in a couple of matches in Bangladesh, he will be keen to prove his worth as a steady and dependable ODI batsman on this tour. That he is also the leader of the team will encourage him further to take more responsibilities as a batsman. Statistics Average first innings score at Harare (overall): 233 Average first innings score at Melbourne (since 2010): 244 Result summary at Harare

Head-to-head

Last meeting between both sides at Harare: July 28, 2013 Zimbabwe 183 (46 overs), India 187-3 (35.3 overs). India won by 7 wickets. Form guide (most recent listed first): India: W, L, L, L, W Zimbabwe: NR, L, L, L, L Pace vs Spin at Harare since 2010

Trivia The combined match experience of 14-member Indian squad is 479 (excluding Karn Sharma, who pulled out of the squad). Harbhajan Singh alone has played 229. Ajinkya Rahane is the only other player with 50+ matches. Two players in the squad- Manish Pandey and Sandeep Sharma - are yet to make their ODI debut. Ajinkya Rahane has captained only in one domestic one-day match – for Mumbai vs Maharashtra in Vijay Hazare Trophy in February 2012. Squads Zimbawe: Elton Chigumbura (Captain), Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Graeme Cremer, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller and Sean Williams. India: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.