India Women Aim for Series Sweep Against Zimbabwe in Final T20I
India Women Set to Bat First
In the third and final T20I match of the series against Zimbabwe Women, India Women won the toss and opted to bat first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Tuesday. With a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, following victories by four wickets in the first match and nine wickets in the second, the Women in Blue are eager to secure a clean sweep.
Captain Mandhana's Strategy
After the toss, Indian captain Smriti Mandhana explained that the choice to bat first was made to provide the middle-order players with more opportunities to play. "We will bat first today as we want more game time for the middle order. In T20 cricket, we have to play positively. I don't have a number in mind, but we are looking at 180 plus," Mandhana stated. She also mentioned that Sree Charani would be resting for this match, with Prema Rawat stepping into the playing XI. Mandhana highlighted the team's power-hitting capabilities, noting, "When you have players like Shafali, definitely we will have more sixes."
Zimbabwe's Game Plan
Zimbabwe's captain Josephine Nkomo expressed her team's desire to bat first as well, anticipating that the playing conditions would remain consistent. "We were looking to bat first. I don't think the conditions will change much, and we are looking to do well in the power-plays. We are trying to rotate the strike more and play positively," Nkomo remarked. She emphasized the need for ongoing improvement, stating, "You need to put in a lot of hard work and be willing to learn every game. We want to do well in all formats."
Final Match Outlook
With the series already clinched by India, the team aims to keep their winning streak alive and conclude the T20I series on a high note. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe will strive for a consolation victory to end the series positively.
Playing XI
Teams:
Zimbabwe Women (Playing XI): Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Sharne Mayers, Josephine Nkomo(c), Nyasha Gwanzura, Modester Mupachikwa(w), Kudzai Chigora, Loryn Phiri, Tendai Makusha, Nomvelo Sibanda
India Women (Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana(c), Anushka Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Niki Prasad, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Prema Rawat.