Odds stacked against home team (Preview)

Post world cup early this year, Zimbabwe have hosted three teams thus far. They overpowered their rivals Bangladesh, got whitewashed across all three formats by Pakistan, and, New Zealand were all over them before the home team scored a historic win in the last ODI of three match series.

For a team, that hasn’t won anything for a while, a victory while chasing a mammoth 329 is bound to inject some confidence in the setup. The home team will be buoyed before the solitary test to be played in Bulawayo.

Only there third test after ending their six year self exile from the longer format of the game, the African side would want to an improvement the way they have played in the limited overs’ fixtures.

Their opponents, New Zealand have been reduced to thirteen men after Kyle Mills and Jesse Ryder were ruled out of the match thanks to untimely injuries. Yet, the visitors have men in their ranks to get better of Zimbabwe. With the likes of Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and skipper Ross Taylor who will have some young batsmen in support act to post a big total on the board.

It will be in the spin department where the tourists should claim to be miles ahead of their counterparts for having world’s best left arm spinner Daniel Vettori in their arsenal. The focus will pan on Vettori for it will be his first game for the national side after relinquishing his captaincy post. His guile and variations could pose lots of problems for the home team whose frailty against quality spin bowling is well documented.The pace department is inexperienced though. That should mean seasoned pacer Chris Martin will be in charge of mentoring the young fast bowlers and shoulder the responsibility of taking wickets upfront.

For Zimbabwe, it will be again their skipper Brendan Taylor around whom batting will revolve. The skipper has been in fantastic form against the Kiwis, scoring two hundreds and a big fifty in the ODI series and how desperately Taylor would want his charges to contribute to the scoreboard. The senior batsmen Tatenda Taibu and Hamilton Masakadza will have to put their hand up and make sure they put price on their wickets. The young opening pair of Tino Mawoyo-who scored a hundred against Pakistan- and Vusi Sibanda, will be keen to provide a solid start for middle to score big.

Bowling, ostensibly, lacks teeth and penetration to take 20 Kiwi wickets. The fast bowlers aren’t quick enough to rattle opposition on a slow Bulawayo surface and spin department too is short of names that one can look for to create an upset.

All said and done, the visitors hold all the aces and look all set to inflict another defeat on the home side.

Zimbabwe: Brendan Taylor (capt), Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Tino Mawoyo, Keegan Meth, Christopher Mpofu, Forster Mutizwa, Njabulo Ncube, Raymond Price, Vusi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, Prosper Utseya, Malcolm Waller.

New Zealand: Ross Taylor (capt), Graeme Aldridge, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Andy McKay, Jeetan Patel, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, Reece Young