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India always find a following because of their stature in world cricket, and this low-key series which sees the tourists missing a slew of regular players - captain MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan and Umesh Yadav - will find takers chiefly because there will be interest in seeing how Rahane's inexperienced side fares after the recent series loss to Bangladesh. Rahane did not find a place in the last two matches in Bangladesh but days later was named India captain, despite having led in just two prior domestic games, and so there will be many eager to see how the batsman whom Dhoni publicly termed an awkward fit in ODIs now leads a team missing a proper fast bowler and without a specialist wicketkeeper.
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India last toured Zimbabwe in mid-2013 with a depleted side and swept the ODIs 5-0, but since that was a tougher Zimbabwean side the expectation will be that the visiting side should be able to hold its own. The 14-man squad - no replacement was named for the injured legspinner Karn Sharma - features several players with international experience, chiefly the recalled Harbhajan Singh who is India's fifth highest wicket-taker in ODIs. The offspinner, 34, has not played an ODI since July 2011 but now finds himself primed to lead the bowling, what with Ashwin missing and only the young Axar Patel for company. This adds an interesting sub-plot to a contest in which several aspiring Indian players will hope to make an impression. It was in Zimbabwe two years ago that legspinner Amit Mishra made a comeback to the ODI team and took 18 wickets to be named Man of the Series. A similar performance from Harbhajan could prove pivotal in his career graph.
India's 'pace' bowlers for the tour included ODI regular Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohit Sharma, those pressing for more playing time in seamer Dhawal Kulkarni and the allrounder Stuart Binny, and the uncapped swing bowler Sandeep Sharma. That should still be good enough in Zimbabwean conditions, but should the chosen pacers struggle then the onus will be on Harbhajan and Axar to stem the flow of runs and take wickets. Zimbabwe's batsman played spin well during their recent landmark tour of Pakistan, and so will be confident of tackling whatever India send down their way.
On the batting front, the likes of Rahane, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary and Robin Uthappa - each of whom has played ODIs - must shore up the innings well to allow the bowlers to operate without added pressure. Rahane, as already mentioned, will be eager to prove he belongs in ODIs after a season in which he evolved into a solid and dependable Test player. He bats in the top three in domestic cricket and the IPL and has scored more runs when opening for India in ODIs (718 in 18 innings at 42.23) than at Nos 3 and 4, but whether he chooses to open here when captaining for the first time will be interesting to see.
Vijay is back in the fray after two years and will hope to channel his successful Test form into the format. Rayudu has been an ODI regular until the World Cup where he warmed the benched, Tiwary finds himself with perhaps one last shot at making a case for further selection, while Uthappa, 29, will see this series as a good opportunity to prove he can be a capable wicketkeeper-batsman option for the future.
Uthappa is the most proficient gloveman in the squad, but like Kedar Jadhav and Rayudu he is a makeshift option. Rayudu and Jadhav have confirmed they haven't been practicing as wicketkeepers, which indicates that Uthappa - who keeps wickets for Karnataka in limited-overs matches and KKR in the IPL - will be the chosen one. Uthappa will also have to score runs from wherever he bats, which would either be at the top or at No 5. Jadhav, who has played on ODI, looks set to tussle with the uncapped Karnataka and KKR batsman Manish Pandey.
Zimbabwe have made four changes to the squad that toured Pakistan in May. Donald Tiripano, Neville Madziva, Malcolm Waller and Regis Chakabva have been included while Charles Coventry, Craig Ervine, Roy Kaia, Tawanda Mupariva and Christopher Mpofu have been dropped. Elton Chigumbura, the skipper, has served a two-ODI suspension for a low over-rate, and his return boosts the Zimbabwean batting; he scored 117 from 95 balls in his last match. Sikandar Raza gained a promotion in the batting order once Chigumbura sat out, and used the chance to score a brisk century in Pakistan, and it is on the shoulders of batsmen like him that Zimbabwe will need to ride. Extracting much more out of the talented yet temperamental allrounder Sean Williams will also add to Zimbabwe's chances of victory, but given the paucity of resources the hosts will need useful contributions from each player selected.
International cricket returns to Zimbabwe for the first time since September 2014, when a tri-series featuring South Africa and Australia was held in Harare. Touring Indian teams have enjoyed success at this venue, winning 10 of 15 ODIs dating back to 1992.
Probable XIs
Zimbabwe: 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 7 Richmond Mutumbani (wk), 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 Tinashe Panyangara, 11 Brian Vitori
India: 1 Murali Vijay, 2 Robin Uthappa (wk), 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Manoj Tiwary, 6 Kedar Jadhav/Manish Pandey, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Dhawal Kulkarni
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