Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: AFP

For the third match in a row in the ongoing cricket tri-series, the captain who won the toss decided to make the other team bat first. This time, it was New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner who won the toss and chose to let Zimbabwe bat first. The match is taking place in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city.

Why This Match Is Important For Zimbabwe

This match is very important for Zimbabwe. They have not yet won any match in the series. If they lose today, it will not remove them completely from the competition, but their chances of reaching the final will become very small. They will then have to win both of their remaining matches to stay in the race for the title.

New Zealand Makes Big Team Changes

New Zealand comes into this match after winning their last game against South Africa by 21 runs. They have made four changes in their team for today’s match. This is because some of their main players have returned after playing in the MLC (Major League Cricket) final recently.

The players who have come back into the team are:

• Rachin Ravindra
• Mark Chapman
• Michael Bracewell
• Adam Milne

These four players have been replaced:

• Tim Robinson, who played very well against South Africa and scored 75 runs, his highest score so far.
• Mitch Hay
• James Neesham
• Ish Sodhi

Another update is that Glenn Phillips will not play in this tour due to a groin injury. He has been ruled out for the entire series, including the upcoming Test matches, after the T20 tri-series ends.

Zimbabwe Sticks With the Same Team Almost

On the other side, Zimbabwe has not made many changes to its team despite losing its first match. They have made only one change. They have decided to leave out Wellington Masakadza and bring in Tinotenda Maposa. Maposa will be playing only his second T20 International match. His first T20 match was last year when Zimbabwe played against Pakistan.

History Between Zimbabwe and New Zealand in T20

This match is very special because it is the first T20 match between Zimbabwe and New Zealand in almost ten years. The last time these two teams played a T20 against each other was in August 2015, and that too was in Harare.

Sadly for Zimbabwe, they have never been able to beat New Zealand in any T20 International match. So far, they have played six T20 matches against New Zealand, and they have lost all six of them. Zimbabwe will be hoping to change this record today and finally get their first win against the Kiwis.

Full Playing XI for Zimbabwe

Here are the players who are playing for Zimbabwe today:

• Brian Bennett
• Wesley Madhevere
• Clive Madande (wicketkeeper)
• Sikandar Raza (captain)
• Ryan Burl
• Tony Munyonga
• Tashinga Musekiwa
• Tinotenda Maposa
• Richard Ngarava
• Blessing Muzarabani
• Trevor Gwandu

Full Playing XI for New Zealand

These are the players playing for New Zealand in today’s match:

• Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper)
• Devon Conway
• Rachin Ravindra
• Daryl Mitchell
• Mark Chapman
• Bevon Jacobs
• Michael Bracewell
• Mitchell Santner (captain)
• Matt Henry
• Adam Milne
• Jacob Duffy

What This Match Means For The Tournament

If Zimbabwe wins today, they will get their first points in this tri-series. This will boost their confidence and keep their hopes alive for reaching the final. But if they lose, they will have to win both their remaining matches. That will be a lot of pressure on them because they have yet to beat New Zealand in T20s.

For New Zealand, winning this match will make them strong favourites to reach the final. They are already looking confident after beating South Africa in their last game.

Why Captains Are Choosing To Bowl First

In this tri-series, the pitch in Harare has been helping the fast bowlers in the morning. Because of early moisture and movement in the air, it becomes difficult for batsmen to play freely in the first few overs. This is why captains have chosen to bowl first after winning the toss in all three matches so far. They hope to get quick wickets early and then chase down the target later when batting becomes easier.

Fans Excited To See Rachin Ravindra Back

Many New Zealand fans are happy to see Rachin Ravindra back in the team. He is known for his strong batting and can also bowl useful spin overs. His performance today will be important if New Zealand wants to win comfortably.

Zimbabwe Captain Sikandar Raza’s Challenge

Zimbabwe’s captain, Sikandar Raza, is a very experienced player. He knows that his team needs to perform better if they want to beat New Zealand for the first time. Raza himself is in good form, and his fans hope he will play a big innings today to give Zimbabwe a fighting chance.

After today’s match, Zimbabwe still has two more matches to play in this tri-series. They will have to improve their batting and bowling if they want to beat strong teams like New Zealand and South Africa.

For New Zealand, the return of their senior players has made their team stronger. They are aiming to win this tri-series before moving on to the Test matches that will be played after this tournament ends.