Former Pakistan player Danish Kaneria believes KL Rahul will bat first in the remaining Zimbabwe series games.
The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series thanks to a clinical performance by Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill.
In the first ODI, India defeated Zimbabwe by a margin of ten wickets
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After Indian bowlers, aided by the return of Deepak Chahar, bowled their way to a 189-run victory over Zimbabwe in 40.3 overs.
Chahar claimed a three-wicket haul with figures 3/27 in his first competitive game since February 2022.
Chahar was well supported in decimating the Africans’ batting lineup by Axar Patel (3/24) and Prasidh Krishna (3/50).
Gill (82 not out off 72 balls) and Dhawan (81 not out off 113 balls) put on their third century-plus stand in the last four innings to get India over the line with 115 balls to spare.
The openers were patient and did not rush into the chase, playing their natural strokes and not allowing the hosts to enter the game at any point. Dhawan kept an eye on Gill as he dealt with the new ball.
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Dhawan hit three boundaries in the powerplay overs and another off Sean Williams in the 13th. Until that point, Gill had not hit a single boundary. He broke the game open with three fours in the 14th over against Brad Evans.
In an ODI victory by ten wickets, Gill and Dhawan put on the second highest opening stand for India.
In the remaining games, KL Rahul could bat higher in the order: Kaneria Danmark
The fact that KL Rahul paved the way for Shubman Gill to bat in the opening slot deserves special mention. Kaneria stated that the Indian stand-in captain will bat at No. 3 to get into a rhythm ahead of the Asia Cup 2022.
Rahul has been out of international cricket for the past six months due to injury. He went to Germany in July for sports hernia surgery, missing the entire England tour.
“In the remaining games, we might see KL Rahul bat higher up the order, possibly at No. 3.” “We’ll learn more about how he’s timing the ball and how his form is going into the Asia Cup as a result of that,” Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.
The second One-Day International (ODI) between India and Zimbabwe will be played on Saturday (August 20) at the Harare Sports Club.
The second One-Day International (ODI) between India and Zimbabwe will be played on Saturday (August 20) at the Harare Sports Club.
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