Summary
- India take first ODI against Zimbabwe with easy 10 wicket win
- Shubman Gill continues to push for a place in the 2022 Asia Cup
- 2022 Asia Cup will run from 27 August to 11 September in the UAE
India are currently touring Zimbabwe for a quick 3 match ODI series before they fly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and prepare to defend their crown at the 2022 Asia Cup which takes place from 27 August to 11 September.
India are touring Zimbabwe without regular captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of their best ODI batsmen. They are also without the services of spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Shikhar Dhawan is captaining the ODI side in the absence of Sharma and is leading a bunch of talented young players who are looking to push for a place in the squad that plays the Asia Cup.
Zimbabwe were not expected to pose any serious challenge to India even though they are playing at home. The first ODI turned out to be a very one sided affair at Harare as India ran through Zimbabwe and bowled them out for just 189 in 40.3 overs. Deepak Chahar returned to the ODI squad after recovering from his injury and immediately made his presence felt, picking up 3 wickets that eventually earned him the man of the match award.
Prasidh Krishna and Axar Patel also took 3 wickets each and did not allow the Zimbabwean batsmen to form a quality partnership. Their top scorer was captain Regis Chakabva who scored 35. Zimbabwe could have been dismissed for under 150 but their tail wagged to get them to 189.
Shikhar Dhawan (81) and Shubman Gill (82) made quick work of the small target as they chased down the score in just 30.5 overs. Gill was the more aggressive of the two openers hitting 10 fours and 1 six to finish with a strike rate of 113.88.
When Rohit Sharma returns, he is expected to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan during the Asia Cup. However, Gill is making a strong push to be a part of the Asia Cup squad after putting in good ODI performances in the West Indies and now Zimbabwe.
The selectors will likely pick him as a replacement opener and might be tempted to play him in the middle order if Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer have a poor run in the UAE. Bettors will need to look out for the best cash out sites if this is likely to happen, we have a great selection right here.
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