Zimbabwe will add more pace to their attack this morning with Kyle Jarvis replacing Raymond Price as the hosts push for a series victory and possibly, a whitewash win against Bangladesh in the UCB five One-Day International (ODI) series, whose third match is at the Harare Sports Club today.
By the end of today, the series might be over as a contest, before it even reaches Bulawayo.
Bangladesh has been a huge let-down to any neutrals who would have wanted this series to offer the competitiveness it had been touted to have, yet on the other hand, Zimbabwe has been immensely impressive, especially with the ball.Today, the two teams square up with Zimbabwe looking to wrap it up while the tourists will be looking to preserve their dwindling chance of winning the series.
In the last two matches, Shakib Al Hasan’s men have not offered or shown any evidence to suggest they can compete in this series, yet Zimbabwe has offered Brian Vitori and Vusi Sibanda with ball and bat respectively.
Just when you think Vitori has done enough for his age and inexperience, he continues to smash records, shocking and surprising many and one cannot bet against another bowling brilliance from him today. Bangladesh has clearly struggled at the face of pace and it is their seam bowlers who have posed some threat to the Zimbabwean batsman and not their trusted spin.
Jarvis was one of the stars of the show when Zimbabwe won the one-off Test against the Tigers last week with five wickets in both innings, and with the pitch offering lift and movement which Vitori has thrived on, the selectors have seen it fit to replace Price, who took just one wicket in the first two matches.
Zimbabwe will have one spin-bowler in Prosper Utseya who has enjoyed some success and can also be useful with the bat.
The seamers have taken between them 14 wickets with Vitori taking the lager lot having effected 10 dismissals.
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But Elton Chigumbura and Chris Mpofu have also done a good job with the ball maintaining the pressure and giving away very little in terms of runs. Chigumbura finished with figures of 2-35 in the second ODI, which Zimbabwe won by four wickets. Bangladesh will be looking for an improved show, especially their top order which has failed in the last two occasions to get the good start. Tamim Iqbal has been a pale shadow of himself going cheaply in both matches at the face of the Vitori express.
Zimbabwe’s batting has so far not been really challenged to chase a formidable score with the tourists failing to reach 200 in both matches. If Bangladesh does not show up again today, Zimbabwe will see this as an opportunity to record a series whitewash, a feat they have only achieved against Kenya in recent years.
