India Cricket

India has the chance to clinch a series win with a game to spare when they meet Zimbabwe in the second one-dayer in Harare on Sunday.

Ambati Rayudu's unbeaten hundred helped India claim the opening game at the same venue on Friday, though the home side only fell four runs short due to 104 not out from Elton Chigumbura.

Now the two sides meet again, with Zimbabwe knowing they have to triumph to set up a winner-takes-all final game.

Date: Sunday, July 12

Time: 9 a.m. local/8 a.m. BST

Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe

Live stream and TV info: Super Sports (Zimbabwe), Ten Sports (India)

Weather: There will be no concerns about rain, per the Weather Channel. The sun should be out all day, meaning no interruptions in proceedings.

Overview

With so many of their big names missing, India's limited-overs tour to Zimbabwe offers the chance for some of the fringe players to impress the national selectors.

While Rayudu certainly made the most of his chance to shine, hitting 124 not out after coming in at three in the order, several of his team-mates failed to cash in on the opportunity presented to them.

At one stage, the visitors found themselves 77 for five in their innings before Stuart Binny combined with Rayudu to put on a partnership worth 160, in the process sparing India's blushes.

A final total of 255 for six proved to be just enough, though Chigumbura did his best to get Zimbabwe over the line.

The home skipper lifted the run chase from 160 for six as he reached three figures for a second successive ODI innings—he had also made 117 in a losing cause against Pakistan in Lahore back in May.

While Chigumbura was delighted with his own display after moving up the order, he told Liam Brickhill of ESPN Cricinfo that it was the result that really mattered:

I think it's my second or third time batting at four—most of my career I've been batting at number seven. It's a good challenge which I've enjoyed so hopefully I get more big scores like that.

But the team comes first—it's always disappointing to lose the game.

As an individual I'm happy with the performance that I did, but the main thing is the team. Being on the losing side is always disappointing

Zimbabwe will need more than just their leader to stand up and be counted if they are going to stay alive—the third and final match takes place at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

India had initially picked a 15-man squad for the trip. However, Karn Sharma was forced to withdraw, per ESPN Cricinfo, due to a fractured finger in his left hand.

With Sharma missing Harbhajan Singh was selected by the touring side in their XI on Friday; the experienced slow bowler appeared in his first one-day match for his country in more than four years.

He picked up one for 46 from his 10 overs, a steady return for a player who was a member of the India side who lifted the Cricket World Cup on home soil back in 2011.

Key players

Zimbabwe

Chigumbura could not quite get 10 runs from the final over in the first ODI, but that should not take away from his impressive knock.

The promotion to bat at four certainly paid off, and the tall right-hander now averages 74.75 in six 50-over matches in 2015.

India

Ajinkya Rahane must make sure the extra responsibility of captaincy doesn't distract him from his main job—scoring runs.

The 27-year-old averages 30.69 with a strike rate of 76.63 in 56 one-day appearances so far. Both those numbers need to rise, and Rahane must seize the chance to open the innings in the absence of both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma.

Squads

Zimbabwe

Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura (captain), Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Roy Kaia, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams

India

Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Stuart Binny, Harbhajan Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Dhawal Kulkarni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Ambati Rayudu, Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthappa, Murali Vijay

All stats used in the article were from ESPN Cricinfo

India edged out Zimbabwe by four runs in a thrilling first one-day international in Harare.

Ambati Rayudu scored a century as the tourists made 255-6 after being put into bat by the Zimmies at the Harare Sports Club.

Elton Chigumbura then scored 104 not out for the home side, but they fell short with six needed from Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s final three balls.

An Indian team missing eight members of the squad that lost the recent one-day series in Bangladesh found themselves in real trouble at 87-5.

7th time India lose their 5 wkt for less than 100 vs Zimbabwe in ODIs - all came out of India. 4 time in Zim, 1 each in UAE/ENG/SL. #ZIMvIND

— Cricket Record (@cricinfo_record) July 10, 2015

The top order, missing Test captain Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and regular ODI captain MS Dhoni, stuttered, with new skipper Ajinkya Rahane (34) the only man of the first five to fall reaching double figures.

However a 160-run partnership between Rayudu and Stuart Binny changed the face of the game.

Ambati Rayudu (124) & Stuart Binny (77) aggregate 201 runs (82%) rest of the team 44 runs (18%) #ZimvInd

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 10, 2015

Rayudu made an unbeaten 124 off 133 balls, his second one-day international century featuring 12 boundaries and a six.

Binny scored his highest ODI score in his 11th match, making 77 at better than a run a ball before falling in the penultimate over.

India's previous-best 6th wkt p'ship in ODIs: 158 in Harare, '05 http://t.co/zwqwmUZaSQ. Started from 91 for 5, team finished on 255 for 6

— S Rajesh (@rajeshstats) July 10, 2015

Zimbabwe lost wickets at regular intervals in their reply, failing to muster a 50-run partnership, as they slipped to 160-6.

Raza looks frustrated after pulling a long-hop, straight to deep mid-wicket. First ODI wicket for Harbhajan, since June, 2011 #ZIMvIND

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 10, 2015

However Chigumbura reached his 50 off 65 balls, and Zimbabwe needed 83 off the final 10 overs to record their first one-day international win against a Test nation since they beat Australia last August.

His 86-run partnership with Graeme Cremer left the hosts requiring 10 off the final over as they searched for only their 11th win against India in 58 ODI meetings.

Chigumbura, who brought up his century in a penultimate over that saw Cremer dismissed, scored three off the first two balls and then got the strike back. However, Kumar kept his nerve, and India claimed a hard-fought victory.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar wins it for India by defending 10 runs in the Final over #ZIMvIND pic.twitter.com/GonsMzZIHG

— Cricket Tracker (@Cricketracker) July 10, 2015

The match was the first of three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches in the space of nine days.

Bangladesh has the chance to wrap up the one-day series against India, when the two neighbouring nations meet in the second of three matches on Sunday.

The hosts upset their illustrious rivals with a 79-run triumph in the opening fixture in Mirpur on Thursday, rain having forced the match to be delayed by 24 hours.

It is the monsoon season in Bangladesh but, thankfully, reserve days have been put in place for the series.

Date: Sunday, June 21

Start time: 3 p.m. local time; 10 a.m. BST

Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Live stream and TV info: Star Sports (India and Bangladesh), SuperSport (South Africa), PTV Sports (Pakistan and UAE)

Weather: According to Weather.com, the day-night fixture is highly likely to be interrupted by thunderstorms. While temperatures will be high, there is an 80 percent chance of rain.

Overview

Bangladesh’s win in the first ODI may still be thought of as a surprise, but they have now triumphed in their last nine 50-over matches on home soil.

Per Deivarayan Muthu of ESPN Cricinfo, they only need to win one of their next five one-day fixtures to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy.

The star of the show in their latest success was Mustafizur Rahman, the teenage seamer marking his debut with a five-wicket haul.

Rahman had just one setback—the 19-year-old was fined 50 percent of his match fee after a collision with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was docked 75 percent of his, according to Alagappan Muthu of ESPN Cricinfo.

Chasing a target of 308, India got off to an excellent start, thanks to an opening stand worth 95 between Rohit Sharma (63) and Shikhar Dhawan (30).

However, the tourists lost their next five wickets for the addition of just 33 runs. They were eventually bowled out for 228 with four overs still remaining in their innings.

India batsman Suresh Raina told bcci.tv (h/t the Times of India) that while they had been second-best to Bangladesh on Thursday, they still remained the stronger of the two sides:

Bangladesh outplayed us in every department.

Having said that, all the five wickets that Mustafizur Rahman took, he got them off the slower ball and got our set batsmen, first Rohit and then me.

When Ravindra Jadeja and I were batting, I believed that if we could stretch it out for five more overs, we would have won it.

This loss is a bit shocking for us and it is hurting a lot. Yes, they played better than us today but we are still a better team.

India needs to back up Raina’s words with a better performance in Mirpur, the venue for all three matches. 

If they don’t, the series will be lost, and serious questions should be asked.

Key players 

Bangladesh

Apart from losing half of his match fee, Rahman’s debut could not have gone much better. Now, the key for the bowler is to prove his performance was not a one off.

While Bangladesh cannot expect him to take five wickets in every match he plays, they will hope his opening haul is the beginning of a long and successful international career.

India

Virat Kohli has a phenomenal one-day record (he averages 51.07), but 2015 has, on the whole, been a struggle for one of the world's best batsmen. 

India’s Test captain has managed one score of 50 of more in 13 matches since the turn of the year. His last three knocks have combined for five runs, with Bangladesh twice dismissing him cheaply (the other occasion occurring in the Cricket World Cup).

Squads

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Mustafizur Rahman, Litton Das 

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Dhawal Kulkarni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav

Brendon McCullum has a lot to answer for. After inciting England to take the all-out-attack route at Edgbaston on Tuesday, India followed suit in the Test match against Bangladesh on Wednesday. Shikhar Dhawan, with help from Murali Vijay, flayed a hapless home attack to all parts as India reached 239 without loss from just 56 overs at stumps on a rain-interrupted first day in Fatullah.

Dhawan's supercharged century shows just how much the game has changed in recent years. Appropriately, it's almost 40 years to the day since Sunil Gavaskar produced one of the most baffling innings in international history.

Chasing a nominal target of 335 in the first ever Cricket World Cup match against England in 1975, Gavaskar instead settled for some batting practice. His unbeaten 36 took a whopping 176 balls as India crawled along to a total of 132 for three from their 60 overs.

Dhawan managed to top India's 1975 total in just 134 balls, going on to finish unbeaten on 150 from 158 deliveries. Anyone waking up from a 1970s induced coma and presented with this must be wondering if it's even the same game they're watching.

Murali Vijay & Shikhar Dhawan now recorded the highest opening stand for India against Bangladesh. #BANvsIND #BANvIND pic.twitter.com/WnPSqx7TXr

— Indian Cricket Team (@IndianCricNews) June 10, 2015

After struggling in Australia for much of the winter, Dhawan found a Bangladesh attack that featured four spinners and a single specialist seamer much more to his liking.

Making the most of an excellent pitch, the flighty left-hander was particularly harsh on anything dropped short and cracked 21 boundaries in his attacking masterclass.

Things could have been very different for Bangladesh had Shuvagata Hom managed to cling on to sharp chance at short mid-wicket off the bowling of Taijul Islam. Dhawan was on 73 at the time. A heavy shower brought a premature end to the morning session moments later with India firmly on top.

Situation at Fatullah. Rainy and cloudy! More updates to come. #BANVIND pic.twitter.com/xMSS9y2wXf

— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) June 10, 2015

If the hosts thought the rain would come to their rescue they were to be disappointed. After a lengthy delay, Dhawan and Vijay picked up exactly where they left off, punishing anything slightly wayward.

A third Test century was a welcome return to form for the Indian opener who had passed 50 just once in his previous 13 innings in the five-day game.

Dhawan Domination at Fatullah. He brings up his 3rd Test ton with ease. India 166/0 from 35.4 overs #BANvIND pic.twitter.com/RSBs9sF4xm

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 10, 2015

Dhawan's Test career been a feast or famine affair to date. In his 23 innings prior to this Test, the left-hander was dismissed in single figures six times and had passed 50 on just four occasions. On two of them he went on to make a century. Get him early is the message for opposition bowlers.

Virat Kohli gave a hint of a more attacking Indian future during India's often thrilling but ultimately unsuccessful tour of Australia.

After a hugely disappointing capitulation against England in 2014, the Indians were more than happy to go toe-to-toe with their Antipodean rivals. The results may not have shown it, but a more attacking India was both great to watch and offered promise for the future.

That positive outlook appears to have continued into the Bangladesh Test. On a day truncated by bad weather, India could have easily opted to take the safety first approach. Instead, Dhawan and Vijay's attacking instincts have put India firmly ahead of the game.

According to Weather.com, more rain is expected to hit the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium over the next few days.

As New Zealand showed in the recent Test at Headingley, scoring quickly can take even lengthy delays out of the match equation. The Kiwis went on to win handily in Leeds.

A flat pitch and rotten weather may be the favourites to decide the outcome of this match. Shikhar Dhawan's heroics have certainly given the Indians a fighting chance.

Shikhar Dhawan scored his third Test century as India made a strong start to the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Fatullah.

Dhawan made an unbeaten 150, and fellow opener Murali Vijay finished the opening day on 89 not out as the tourists reached 239-0 at stumps at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Because of rain, only 56 overs were possible, but India scored in excess of four runs per over after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Dhawan brought up his half-century from only 47 balls and raced to 74 not out at lunch, but he was lucky Shuvagata Hom dropped him at short mid-wicket off the penultimate ball of the morning session.

The afternoon session was washed out, and when play resumed after a nearly four-hour delay, Dhawan and Vijay continued where they left off.

Vijay brought up his 11th Test half-century off 98 balls with seven boundaries, and it took Dhawan just three balls more to complete his ton.

He swept Jubair Hossain, one of four spinners in the Tigers lineup, past mid-wicket before acknowledging the crowd.

Dhawan moved to 150 off the final ball of the day, having faced 158 deliveries and having hit 21 boundaries.

Vijay stands 13 runs short of a sixth Test ton, having hit eight boundaries and a six in his more circumspect 178-ball innings.

New Indian captain Virat Kohli will hope India continue to make the best of a good batting surface on Day 2.

If India could pick just one player from Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan would be the obvious choice.

The 28-year-old has been one of the shining lights as his country has struggled to dazzle at the top table. He bats, he bowls, he fields, making him a multidimensional cricketer in all formats of the game.

In his career so far, Shakib has already been ranked by the ICC as the leading all-rounder in both Test and one-day cricket.

He is the only Bangladeshi to appear in this year's Indian Premier League, while he has also played county cricket in England, experienced the Big Bash in Australia and played his trade in the Caribbean Premier League, proving his reputation stretches well beyond the subcontinent. 

His CV is impressive, and he may only just be entering his prime now.

India would dearly love to have Shakib in their line-up, particularly in Test cricket.

His addition would help balance out Virat Kohli’s side, giving them a strong-looking top six without compromising their desire to field a five-man bowling attack.

That is the versatility that Shakib offers: He averages 40.17 with the bat and has also taken 142 wickets with his left-arm off-spin in 39 Tests.

Those numbers are solid by anyone's standards, but he has had to cope with the added pressure of holding together a brittle Bangladesh side, even though he is no longer captain.

There would, however, be no such extra responsibility on his shoulders if he were in India’s ranks.

The batting firepower in front of him would allow him to relax, rather than worry he might have to quickly put his pads on. At No. 6, he could express himself and play positively.

He would also provide India with the answer to a problematic position. With former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni now retired from Test action, India have a void to fill in their middle order.

Wriddhiman Saha has taken over as wicketkeeper and while he can bat, No. 7 is the right spot for him to get acclimated to life in the team.

Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane are pillars of strength in the batting, and Shakib—who has hit three Test centuries—would slot in nicely behind the right-handed pair, just ahead of Saha.

Shakib’s most valuable asset to India, however, would be his bowling.

He would bring balance to the attack, allowing the selectors to choose three fast bowlers plus another spinner, one who would most likely turn the ball in the opposite direction to the left-armer.

As the extra bowler, Shakib would be a reliable option for Kohli, yet would not be relied on to do the bulk of the work.

With Bangladesh he is the leader of the pack, the man they turn to for inspiration. If he was playing for India, though, that would not be the case. 

When the surfaces are dry and worn, when the game is in the closing stages, he could provide an attacking option. Yet his control, both of flight and line, means he is able to perform a holding role when required.

That versatility makes Shakib a special talent, and a delight for any captain who has him in their ranks.

He has taken 14 five-wicket hauls for Bangladesh, while his best match figures saw him claim 10 for 124 against Zimbabwe in Kulna last year. In the same match he also scored a century, a feat only previously achieved in Test cricket by two of the greatest all-rounders ever seen: Sir Ian Botham and Imran Khan.

India has selected a slow-bowler who can bat before. Most recently they have tried Ravindra Jadeja, but he has yet to convince in his 12 Test appearances.

Shakib would be an upgrade on Jadeja, giving India the genuine all-rounder they crave.

They will get to see just what they're missing out on when the neighbouring nations meet in a one-off Test in Fatullah.

Virender Sehwag and Sanath Jayasuriya were a joy to behold when they were in form—unless you were bowling at them, of course.

The two batsmen were the personification of the modern era: brilliant strikers of the ball who were always looking to attack, even when playing in Test match cricket.

Each man had a different method for scoring runs, but both were extremely successful during their international careers.

The question is, who was the better opener?

Virender Sehwag

Born in Delhi, Sehwag began his international career batting down the order for India in one-day cricket.

However, it was as an opener that he built a reputation as one of the most dangerous players in the world game.

It did not matter to the right-hander what colour clothing he was wearing—whether it was a one-day game or a Test match, he was always going to be positive. He had a belief he could score runs against anyone, at any time and in any conditions.

That does not mean he was good for just a few. Sehwag holds the record for India's highest Test score, having made 319 against South Africa in 2008.

He had already hit 304 against Pakistan four years earlier, making him the only Indian to ever register more than one triple hundred. In fact, Sehwag has made the top three scores for his country.

He is also part of a select group of players who have hit double centuries for India in 50-over cricket. The others who have achieved the feat are Rohit Sharma (twice) and Sachin Tendulkar, who was Sehwag's opening partner for many years, including the successful 2011 Cricket World Cup campaign on home soil.

Sehwag's style was one of simplicity—there was no great amount of foot movement as he stayed leg-side, allowing him to free his arms. If there was away swing, he would simply treat it as an opportunity to hit squarer of the wicket.

Sehwag was also aggressive when called into action with his off-spin, showing a willingness to flight the ball in the hope of tempting a mistake from opposing batsmen.

He had a happy knack of claiming wickets, particularly in the ODI game. While his one-day bowling average is an unspectacular 40.13, his strike rate is a more-than-useful 45.7.

Career highlight

What makes Sehwag's knock of 319 against South Africa remarkable is that it took him just 309 deliveries to score his runs.

India had been stuck in the field for 152.5 overs as the Proteas piled on 540 in Chennai—only for India to surpass their score when it finally came to their turn to bat.

Sehwag hit five sixes and 42 fours before becoming the second wicket to fall with the score on 481. He had put on 268 with Rahul Dravid, who contributed just 68 to the stand.

Dileep Premachandran stated in his report for ESPN Cricinfo that not only had Sehwag set a record for making the fastest triple ton in Test history (he reached the milestone from the 278th ball he faced), but he had also scored an astonishing 257 runs on the third day's play alone.

Sanath Jayasuriya

Like Sehwag, Jayasuriya started out his international career batting in the middle order. He was seen as an all-rounder in his early days and didn't get to open the batting in ODI cricket until 1993.

The move to the top paid dividends, particularly in 1996. Along with Romesh Kaluwitharana, he formed a partnership that helped fire their country to Cricket World Cup glory.

Small but stocky, the left-hander proved a tricky puzzle for opposing bowlers to solve. If you were too far outside off, Jayasuriya would launch you over cover or point. Straighten your line up too much, and he'd whip anything on his pads over the top of mid-wicket or square leg.

He was a little more circumspect in Test action, though that is not to say he had a tortoise-like scoring rate.

In 2004, he had a particularly prolific year, making four three-figure scores after giving up the captaincy. That hot streak included a fine knock of 253 against Pakistan in Faisalabad.

But Jayasuriya will always be best remembered for his one-day feats. No other player has scored more than 12,000 runs and also taken 300 or more wickets, showing his value with both bat and ball.

He currently sits second on the all-time list for sixes and fours hit in 50-over cricket, having carried on playing until he was just shy of his 42nd birthday.

His 17-ball half-century against Pakistan stood as an ODI record until recently (AB de Villiers needed one less delivery to achieve the feat this year), and he also briefly held the record for the quickest century.

His bowling was more successful in the shorter formats. Jayasuriya wasn't known for exacting a lot of turn but would arrow the ball in at the stumps with his round-arm action. If a batsman missed or played across the line, he was in big trouble.

On four occasions, he claimed five-wicket hauls in one-dayers, with his best performance seeing him take six for 29 against England in 1997.

Career highlight

Jayasuriya became the first Sri Lankan to hit a triple century in Test cricket.

In 1997, against India in Colombo, the batsman made 340 in his side's mammoth first-innings total of 952 for six declared.

He hit 36 fours and two sixes in his 578 balls at the crease, though Rajesh Chauhan ended his bid to break the world record for the highest Test score, which was held by Brian Lara (375) at the time.

Still, Jayasuriya played his part in helping Sri Lanka score the most runs in a Test innings, a mark that stands to this day.

Final verdict

When trying to pick between Sehwag and Jayasuriya, it comes down to a matter of personal taste.

Sehwag scored his runs with a certain flair. While you always felt he could get out to the next ball, you also wondered if at times he was just toying with opposing bowlers, like a cat with a half-dead mouse.

Jayasuriya, in contrast, was a power player. With the bottom hand gripped tightly on the bat, he cracked the ball rather than caressing it.

Jayasuriya's bowling made him the more useful of the two in one-day cricket, but Sehwag gets the nod for his Test achievements. He had an elegance to his uncomplicated method, and his driving to anything slightly overpitched was both beautiful and brutal.

Winner: Virender Sehwag