Zimbabwe win toss and bat in India ODI

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat on Wednesday after ringing the changes for the third and final ODI against India, following two heavy defeats.

The hosts lost the first two games to a second-string Indian by nine and eight wickets respectively, and elected to use the dead rubber to give opportunities to other players.

India made one change to their side, with 30-year-old opening batsman Faiz Fazal making his international debut as he replaced Karun Nair.

Zimbabwe picked three new seamers in the form of Neville Madziva, Tawanda Mupariwa and Donald Tiripano, while batsmen Malcolm Waller and Timycen Maruma also got the nod.

Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Sikandar Raza Butt, Tendai Chatara and Taurai Muzarabani all dropped out of the Zimbabwe team.

Captain Graeme Cremer flew in the face of perceived wisdom by choosing to bat at Harare Sports Club, where just two sides in the last 23 have batted first, and both of them lost.

Zimbabwe: Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Timycen Maruma, Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Graeme Cremer (capt), Neville Madziva, Tawanda Mupariwa, Donald Tiripano India: KL Rahul, Faiz Fazal, Manish Pandey, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt, wk), Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal

Source: AFP.