After trailing each other out for the second ODI of their bilateral three-match series in Harare, both Australia and Zimbabwe will be looking to fill many voids as visible after the opening game. Matt Renshaw and Nathan Ellis were the heroes with bat & ball as Australia won the first match by 59 runs.
Matt Renshaw was the star for Australia in the first ODI. In the middle order, he scored his first ODI hundred and made Australia competitive. He got the nod for his all-round showing as well, which included an innings of 109.
Zimbabwe, however, put up some resistance in this chase. Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza forged a threatening partnership which held the hosts in good stead for long. But Ellis produced a match-defining spell, with figures of 5-24, to ultimately ensure their efforts were in vain.
Australia’s batting unit for the second ODI has a fresh boost with Cameron Green coming back and Josh Hazlewood resuming his fast bowling duties. Green withdrew due to a shoulder ailment and Hazlewood was rested in the opening game. On one hand, they would bolster the batting and on the other, provide more bowling options for Australia.
Zimbabwe: They’ll be looking to iron out the kinks in their bowling. The hosts also bowled three no-balls from Sikandar Raza and edged over 13 wides in the first match. Their fielding was at times hit and miss too, allowing Australia to regain control again after slipping into trouble.
Travis Head, another player to watch. The Australian opener has been out repeatedly after chopping balls onto his stumps and will be hoping for an answer against the Zimbabwe bowlers.
The second ODI will be played at Harare Sports Club on September 18. Moving on to the respective series, both teams will be looking to perform strongly against each other.
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