A fresh looking Team India geared up to face Zimbabwe ahead of the first ODI of the tour, at the Harare Sports Club. Captain Ajinkya Rahane and bowling coach Bharat Arun spoke of the new-look squad confidently on the eve of the match and stressed on the importance of starting the series well and building momentum.
“It is pretty important for us to start well,” Arun said. “We need to look to get momentum and a good start will ensure that. We are here to win and we will ensure we do everything we can to achieve that objective.”
Although most of the senior players have been rested, the bowling attack is rich in experience led by veteran Harbhajan Singh. The only relatively inexperienced bowler is Sandeep Sharma, who has caught the selectors’ eyes with impressive performances in the domestic circuit and the IPL.
“From the bowling point of view our attack is pretty much the same. Except for Sandeep Sharma all the other pacers are experienced enough,” he said. For Sandeep, he has done very well in the IPL and domestic circuit and he will carry that confidence into this series.”
As for the opponents, the Indians are not going by Zimbabwe’s low rank on the table and are ready to put their best foot forward.
“Zimbabwe has been a good side and they have done pretty well. We have a healthy respect for all our opponents. We give all our opponents the importance and respect they deserve,” Arun said.
