Five Indian cricketers for whom the Zimbabwe series will be important

Tags: India tour of Zimbabwe 2015, India, Zimbabwe

Published on: Jun 30, 2015

ZIM vs IND 2015: The Indian team for the Zimbabwe tour has been announced. Being a low-profile series, the selectors have chosen a second-string squad.

The Indian team for the Zimbabwe tour has been announced. Being a low-profile series, the selectors have chosen a second-string squad. But, like every series, this one also will be crucial for some of them. We take a look at five Indian cricketers for whom the Zimbabwe series will be important.

Ajinkya Rahane: What an unbelievable turn of fortunes it has been for the Mumbai lad. Remember, he was dropped for the last two one-dayers in Bangladesh. And, only days later, he has been chosen as the captain for the series against Zimbabwe. Rahane will get a chance to display his leadership skills in Zimbabwe. He has been termed as captaincy material already owing to the calm head he possesses. The series will also give Rahane an opportunity to improve his one-day record. While he has decent batting stats, they don't do justice to his talent.

Murali Vijay: The Test opener has got a much-deserved recall. Vijay has played one-dayers before but has a pathetic record. For someone who first made a name in the IPL, Vijay doesn't even find a place in India's T20 squad. On the contrary, he has made a name of himself as a dogged Test opener. Those who have seen him bat in IPL will be aware what a special talent he is in the shorter formats. With Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma rested, Vijay gets a chance to open the innings in ODIs as well in Zimbabwe. He will be keen to make full use of the opportunity.

Harbhajan Singh: After being chosen for the Test in Bangladesh, Harbhajan has now been handed an ODI recall. He did reasonably well in the rain-shortened Test, but whether it was enough for him to earn an ODI comeback will remain debatable. Chairman of selectors made an interesting observation when he said that the team was chosen keeping in mind the upcoming World T20. This means the selectors have the off-spinner in the scheme of things. Although the opposition is Zimbabwe, who traditionally struggle against spin, Harbhajan will have to bowl really well for he hasn't played ODIs since 2011.

Robin Uthappa: The Karnataka batsman has got a deserved opportunity to prove his mettle all over again. Over the last two seasons, he has shown for KKR, but it is his international record with which he should be disappointed. Uthappa got the highest score for an Indian on ODI debut quite a few years back, but failed to build on the start, and gradually faded away. Now, we have a new, improved version -- Uthappa 2.0. He can bat longer, and can keep wickets as well. With the sword constantly hanging over MS Dhoni, Uthappa could stake claim for the place of wicket-keeper batsman if he does well in Zimbabwe.

Sandeep Sharma: The pacer who was extremely impressive in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab is among the new faces in the team. His medium pace is accurate, and he also has the knack of picking up wickets, big ones at that. The Zimbabwe tour, being an international series, will be tougher, and it remains to be seen how he responds to the challenge.

--By A Cricket Analyst

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