3 months ago
1
It has been precisely a decennary since Zimbabwe past played an planetary lucifer successful India. Back successful 2016, portion Daren Sammy-led West Indies scripted past by becoming the archetypal squad to triumph 2 World T20 titles, Zimbabwe exited successful the preliminary round.
On Monday astatine the Wankhede Stadium, the 2 sides reunite successful acold antithetic circumstances. Sikandar Raza’s Zimbabwe takes connected West Indies — with Sammy arsenic the caput manager — successful the Super Eights of the Men’s T20 World Cup.
For 2 teams that spent overmuch of the past decennary labelled arsenic planetary cricket’s also-rans, topping their respective groups and gathering astatine this signifier marks a important shift. It signals advancement for some Caribbean and Zimbabwean cricket, and underlines the expanding footprint of the T20 crippled beyond its accepted powerfulness centres.
Zimbabwe has been the fairytale of the tournament. A stunning triumph implicit Australia sealed their Super Eights berth — and a uncommon instrumentality to Indian ungraded — earlier they underlined their credentials by beating co-host Sri Lanka to decorativeness atop the group.
The situation present is adaptation. Only Raza and left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza stay from the 2016 squad that past toured India. The modulation from the slower, little pitches successful Sri Lanka to the typically flatter Wankhede aboveground volition trial their adaptability. Unsurprisingly, contempt the momentum, Zimbabwe volition statesman arsenic underdogs.
It is besides monitoring the fittingness of left-arm pacer Richard Ngarava. West Indies, meanwhile, has been bolstered by the instrumentality of allrounder Romario Shepherd, who missed the last 2 league matches with a niggle. Sammy confirmed Shepherd is disposable for selection, with the allrounder bowling an extended spell successful grooming connected Sunday.
West Indies whitethorn not person anticipated Zimbabwe successful their Super Eights opener, but they person had clip to recalibrate. The question present is whether Zimbabwe tin publication a 3rd successive upset — oregon whether acquisition volition prevail.
