MoneyBall9 Fantasy guide: Zimbabwe v India 3rd ODI

A lot of eyebrows were raised when the BCCI continued to select IPL and Ranji stars for back-to-back Zimbabwe tours. The Zimbabwean coach and administration vehemently opposed the selection of the second string Indian side as it maybe came across as a mark of disrespect for the Zimbabwean cricket team. But for India, the agenda was clear, they wanted to test their bench strength out and that is exactly what they have done in the series, though they would have liked a situation where some of the other players had a good hit in the middle as well.

Now, with the series in the bag for the Indian’s, they would want to test their ‘bench bench’ strength by giving a few bowlers and maybe Mandeep Singh a look into the side. But again, with MS Dhoni’s reluctance to change a lot, it is anybody’s guess as to what side will be picked for the encounter. Since the MoneyBall9 league gives you an option to pick your team till the first ball is bowled, wait for the toss to decide the lineup.

Even if the players on the bench are not picked, Dhoni would like to shuffle the batting order a bit in order to give some time to Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav in the middle, both of whom look like bright prospects for the Indian middle order in the future. Also, when it comes to bowling, Jasprit Bumrah should be rested, making way for Jaydev Unadkat or Jayant Yadav.

The Zimabaweans have a lot of issues to deal with it, the biggest being injuries to both Craig Ervine and Sean Williams. While that brings about a big hole in their middle order, their bowling too needs some corrections. Wellington Masakadza could be drafted in to take advantage of the spin friendly wicket.

Let’s get to business now!

In the Moneyball9 Fantasy game you stand to win Rs 20000 every day. Play the Guaranteed Prize league, the Doube up league or the free leagues to enjoy the Fantasy rush for all matches possible.

Also check out – Zim v Ind, 3rd ODI Preview: Young Indians sniff a clean sweep

Picking the team for this game is going to be very tricky but I’ll try my best to take into account everything before finalizing my squad.

Batsmen

Chibabha is the first batsman that I bring in for this game. He is sure to get a game and he not only opens the batting, he bowls his quota of 10 overs as well (if needed) and thus makes for a very interesting prospect as he’ll be given ample chances to prove his worth.

I think Manish Pandey will get a good look in and if he gets to spend time at the crease, he’ll surely make it count. Get him in!

Ambati Rayudu will be my third batsman for this game. I had only Rs 7000 left for this pick (as this was my last pick) and hence he is the only batsman that fits the bill. He has been constantly deployed at number 3 and thus should get enough time and deliveries to make some significant impact.

Wicketkeeper

KL Rahul will be the obvious choice for this spot but in case he is dropped you could opt for Kedar Jadhav, who is bound to be promoted up the order. And even if Rahul plays, I suggest you go in with Jadhav because of his low price tag of Rs 4500.

All Rounder         

Axar Patel has been in decent form in this tournament and operates brilliantly during the middle overs to stop the run flow and to chip in with a few wickets. While he hasn’t been used with the bat, he could be promoted to number 5 to get some runs under his belt.

If he doesn’t play Elton Chigumbura seems the next best option. The Zimbabweans will loose a lot of wickets, giving Chigumbura sufficient time in the middle to get some runs.

Bowlers

Yuzi Chahal will be my first pick in this category. He has been a revelation in this tournament, bowling with a lot of guile and in the process getting a lot of purchase from the wicket. If you leave him out, he could make you regret it.

Tendai Chatara will be the second bowler that I opt for. The only Zimbabwean bowler to have caused any sort of trouble to the Indian batsmen. And if Zimbabwe bowl first, he could exploit the early morning freshness off the pitch to his advantage.

Dhaval Kulkarni will be the third bowler I get in for this game. His swing bowling has always been great and when the conditions suit him, he turns into a beast.

Flexible player

Jaydev Unadkat, in all probability, is bound to get a game in place of Jasprit Bumrah. And thus, he’ll be my flexible player for the day. Like DK, he too is known for his swing bowling and loves bowling the in swingers to the right-handers.

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