Zimbabwe v Australia, 1st ODI: Preview

After a forgettable 3-match series against South Africa, in which they suffered a whitewash, Zimbabwe will be hoping to put on an improved performance when they take on Australia in the opening match of the tri-series that starts on 25th August in Harare.

Meanwhile, the Australians, who have enjoyed a long break away from cricket, will be looking to get into the act straightaway in what is a hectic calender for them. The tri-series will also provide the teams an opportunity to build up for the World Cup, which is just a few months away.

Zimbabwe:

A couple of half-centuries from Sean Williams and Hamilton Masakadza and Elton Chigumbura finding some form with the bat were the only positives to emerge from the ODI series against South Africa as far as Zimbabwe's batting was concerned. Brendon Taylor, after his twin failures, was left out of the final ODI while Richmond Mutumbami and Sikandar Raza also failed to come up with anything substantial in the entire series. The problem with Zimbabwe's batting is that the ones in the top-order have not been able to string together useful partnerships, which was pointed out by Williams, who asked the batsmen to play with more responsibility and put a price on their wickets. The hosts will be hoping for exactly the same when the tri-series begins.

The bowlers were average in the matches against South Africa, letting the opposition score at more than six an over in two games. Their highest wicket-taker was John Nyumbu, who ended the series with 4 scalps at an average of 32.25 while his economy rate was close to 6. Neville Madziva, Brian Vitori, Tinashe Panyangara, Luke Jongwe and Shingi Masakadza, all went for runs, while there was nothing great to speak about their wickets column as well. Williams and Prosper Utseya were the only ones to concede less than 5 but the latter's confidence would have been dented after he was reported for chucking. The hosts will be expecting the bowlers to tighten up and stick to the right lines, which is imperative if they are to stop a power-packed Australian batting line-up.

Australia:

Australia captain Michael Clarke is a doubtful starter for the opening game as he hurt his left hamstring during a training session on Friday. If he fails to recover in time, George Bailey will take charge of the affairs. Although David Warner and Shane Watson are not part of the series and even if Clarke misses out, Australia still have a powerful batting order. Aaron Finch, Phillip Hughes, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith and Bailey make a power-packed unit and to add more strength to it, the team from Down Under have quality all-rounders like Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner. Not to mention, wicket-keeper Brad Haddin is also a quality batsman, who will be eager to make the most of the series.

As far as Australia's bowling department is concerned, there is quite a lot of pace present. Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc make a formidable pair while Ben Cutting, Kane Richardson, Faulkner and Marsh are the other fast bowling options available for Australia. Nathan Lyon will be the lead spinner while the visitors can also utilise the services of Maxwell and Smith. Overall, it is a well-balanced unit with the presence of quality players in all the departments and Australia will be hoping that they all fire and help their side dominate in the series.

Numbers:

10: The number of years since Australia last played an ODI against Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe. The last match they played was on 29 May 2004 and in this game, Michael Clarke eased his side past the line with a commanding century.

0: The number of times Zimbabwe have won against Australia at home. They have played a total of 7 games and have ended up on the losing side in all of them.

Quotes:

I believe Taylor is a very good player and he is the man who can win games for us in the future, but just like all players, he is not guaranteed a place in the side. He is going to be treated just like any other player; the same applies to all the other senior players: Zimbabwe's selection convener, Givemore Makoni.

I'd like to make my way back into all three formats and I haven't played a one-day game for a fair while now so that's the first stepping stone for me. If I get my chance on this tour of Zimbabwe its about taking those chances and one step from there is the tour of the UAE: Mitchell Starc.