India vs Zim: Battles within the battle
India is on the cusp of a historic clean sweep in Zimbabwe and given the imperious form that the Indian players have been in, it looks like only a natural calamity or a superhuman effort from the Zimbabwean players could halt the Indian juggernaut. The 'second wrung' Indian squad, which went to Zimbabwe, has been near invincible and will be eager to go back home with the satisfaction of having handed its host a historic clean slate.
Despite a few good individual performances, Zimbabwe just hasn't managed to go toe to toe against an inspired Indian team. Of course, in its ranks, Zimbabwe does have one or two quality players and these players will hold the key as the host nation hopes to avoid the embarrassment of a whitewash. Here is a list of some of the riveting battles between the players in the fifth and final ODI:
Rohit Sharma vs Brian Vitori
After three failures on the trot, the ghost of poor form was seemed to be closing in on the phenomenally talented Rohit Sharma for what seemed like the millionth time in his relatively short career. But, with a sedate yet enterprising half-century in the penultimate ODI, Rohit has managed to play himself back to form and will look to play a vital role in the final ODI as well. Challenging him will be one of Zimbabwe's better bowlers in Brian Vitori. Vitori has snared three wickets in the series so far and will be one of the key figures for the minnows going into the match.
Elton Chigumbara vs Mohit Sharma
Yet another revelation of the IPL, Mohit Sharma looks like he is enjoying his time in the middle and wants to make the most of his limited opportunities. In an era when India finds itself with a surplus of medium-fast bowlers, nothing short of a spectacular performance will seal his spot in the Indian line-up. His spell in the debut ODI, which yielded two wickets, set up the game squarely in India's favour and with his sharp movement, he certainly looks menacing. The one batsman that he would love to scalp is Elton Chigumbara, who has been amongst the runs for Zimbabwe.
Malcolm Waller vs Ravindra Jadeja
Although Malcolm Waller hasn't been as prolific a scorer as Chigumbara, the Zimbabwean, with his useful 30s and 40s, has added immense value to a feeble middle-order. A powerful striker of the ball, Waller is capable of wielding the long-handle and can certainly take the attack to the Indians. The onus on stopping not just Waller, but the entire Zimbabwean middle-order will be on the all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja. The all-rounder, with his invaluable spells in the middle-overs, has proved to a huge asset to the Indian side and will look to do his bit to help India complete the formalities in Zimbabwe.
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