Task cut out for Rahane's side vs Zimbabwe as India hope to avoid repeat of Bangladesh

An India-Zimbabwe series is generally considered a low-profile one. The last time when India graced Zimbabwe soil, the Kohli-led team whitewashed the hosts 5-0. But things won’t be the same this time around. In 2013, when India reached Zimbabwe shores, they were the No.1 ranked side in the ODIs. They had won four of their last five series including the Champions Trophy. This time, India will go into the three-match ODI series on the back of a shock series defeat against Bangladesh. The defeat hurt more because of the fact that India had sent a full strength squad to Bangladesh and still ended up losing. And following that loss, the selectors chose a player under tremendous pressure to prove his worth in ODIs as the captain of a second string side. [caption id=“attachment_2317482” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of Ajinkya Rahane. AFP[/caption] When Ajinkya Rahane strides out to play the first ODI on 10 July, he will become the first Mumbai cricketer to captain India since Sachin Tendulkar did 15 years ago. There will be tremendous pressure on him to lead the side and prove himself again. It’s his  mental toughness that might help him overcome the challenges. He has taken MS Dhoni’s criticism in a positive manner and decided to move on. “Dhoni bhai gave me a feedback and I took it in a positive manner and I have moved on. Bangladesh tour is past for me. My aim is to be more consistent in ODIs as it’s all in the mind,” Rahane said. But this series isn’t just about Rahane; there are fringe players who would be looking to grab the opportunity with both hands. There will be immense competition. Murali Vijay makes a comeback to the ODI squad after two years and after a good run of form in the Tests he would be looking to make the most of the opportunity in the limited-overs formats. He has spoken about his desire to do well in all three formats, and for that, this is a golden opportunity. There have been some surprising aspects to the selection of the squad as the selectors haven’t opted for a specialist keeper. The three keeping options are - Robin Uthappa, Kedar Jadhav and Ambati Rayudu. They have also left out genuine fast bowlers with Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav included in the India A squad to face Australia A. Robin Uthappa has had a roller-coaster ride in the international arena. He is 29 and this might be his last chance to impress. There are high chances he will get the nod for the wicket-keeping spot. He along with Murali Vijay might be the top contenders to open the batting. Manish Pandey is another player who would be looking for a bright start to his international career. Last year after an impressive IPL season, Pandey got his maiden India call-up for a one-off Twenty20 international against West Indies but his wait was extended as the tour was aborted mid-way. He had a below par IPL season this year but was the highest run-getter in the Vijay Hazare trophy with 472 runs from seven matches at 118. Sandeep Sharma has got a maiden call-up on the back of strong performances for Punjab and Kings XI Punjab but with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma and Dhawal Kulkarni in the pace department, he might have to warm the bench. This, however, promises to be a huge series for Harbhajan Singh who is making a comeback to the ODI squad after four years. He had a decent outing in the one-off Test against Bangladesh. Good performance in Zimbabwe would make a compelling case for his inclusion in the World T20 next year in India and boy, would he love that. Another player who would be looking to get back his form would be Mohit Sharma. The Haryana pacer had a mediocre IPL and played just one game in the Bangladesh series. But it was in Zimbabwe that Mohit impressed on debut two years ago and he would be looking to get back to his best again this time around. Given the circumstances, Zimbabwe will be a tough nut to crack. The African team has shown signs of improvement with some gutsy performances against Pakistan in their last series. There were nerves floating when they landed in Pakistan for the limited-overs series but they showed real fight and character. They competed well in the World Cup too. Their captain - Elton Chigumbura will be their go-to man - he was Zimbabwe’s highest run-getter when India visited the country last time. They will, however, miss Brendan Taylor who signed a three-year Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire. Rayudu acknowledged that fact. “It’s a big advantage for us that he’s not there. He has always been a big player,” he said. Zimbabwe’s main strength will be their batting and despite the absence of Brendan Taylor, they have good experience in Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Sean Williams and of course Chigumbura. Sikandar Raza and Chigumbura hit centuries in ODIs against Pakistan while Williams chipped in with good all-round performances. “Zimbabwe have got a pretty balanced side. They played pretty well in Pakistan, and they’ve good, experienced batsmen these days,” Rahane said on arrival in Zimbabwe. “Good allrounders and bowlers. And they’re getting better day by day. So we respect them, but at the same time we’ll play our own cricket,” he added. It’s their bowling that needs to step up. They ended up conceding an average of 313 runs per match in that series in Pakistan. Given that the spinners will be effective on dry pitches, their second highest wicket-taker - Prosper Utseya and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer will play an important role. Another important thing is to get their mental side of things right. “The hardware is there, you’ve seen it, it’s the software that they’ve got to work on. Keep their heads, execute. Skillset is important, but so’s mindset and that’s what we’re hoping to improve upon,” Zimbabwe coach Dav Whatmore told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t care if you get hit for four or six, I don’t care if you mis-hit and get caught, you make a decision and you execute it to the best of your ability. If you make a wrong decision then fine, we can improve that, but if you can’t make a decision with 100% commitment, then that’s worse,” added Whatmore who has played a crucial role in Zimbabwe’s improvement. Bowling is where India might have a slight upper hand over Zimbabwe. Given that both teams are batting heavy, spectators can expect a run fest. Zimbabwe have never won a bilateral ODI series against India (Minimum three matches) but neither had Bangladesh. It will be a test of character for the Rahane-led side and it will be fascinating to see how they respond. Squads: Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (c), Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Graeme Cremer, Hamilton Masakadza, Neville Madziva, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams. India: Ajinkya Rahane (c), M 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.