Mumbai, February 22 A remarkably confident West Indies will be wary of Zimbabwe’s steely resolve when the two unbeaten teams face off in a crucial T20 World Cup Super Eight clash here on Monday.
Both the West Indies and Zimbabwe topped their respective groups in the first round, but the job is far from over for them as tougher challenges lie ahead.
For the two-time champions, the West Indies, it will be another test of their self-assured approach in a format they truly excel in, bringing a flair that perhaps no other team can match.
Daren Sammy’s team has rallied well to create their own "little piece of history," but consistency and the ability to perform under pressure will be paramount.
With four wins in a row, the West Indies have ensured that their series defeats in as many as seven bilateral affairs leading up to the T20 World Cup are a thing of the past.
The Caribbean side has once again emerged as a force to be reckoned with, especially with commanding wins over rivals England and dominating performances against lower-ranked teams.
Shai Hope (155 runs, two 50s) has found his form, Shimron Hetmyer (134) has added firepower at No. 3, and the two key players, Jason Holder (7 wickets) and Roston Chase, have also contributed valuable performances.
Sherfane Rutherford’s (126) explosive batting is another important factor for the Caribbean camp, along with the all-round capabilities of Romario Shepherd (6 wickets), who will particularly rely on his IPL experience at the Wankhede Stadium to deliver.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe has made the cricketing world yearn for more with their inspiring run so far, where they have successfully overcome challenges from former multi-format world champions Australia and Sri Lanka.
Zimbabwe has achieved "respect and recognition," apart from making it to the Super Eight.
But in a group consisting of the formidable South Africans, the West Indies, and the title favourites India, Zimbabwe will be confident of causing maximum damage and see how far they can go.
Zimbabwe’s self-belief and confidence match their all-round strength, as they now find themselves in the big boys' club, where the stakes are much higher.
The young Brian Bennett has been a star with the bat, scoring two fifties and a total of 175 runs, putting him at the top of Zimbabwe’s run-scoring chart.
Interestingly, the 22-year-old right-handed batter is yet to hit a six in this T20 World Cup, a fact that will be noted by the West Indies camp.
In all, the Zimbabweans have hit a total of eight sixes in this tournament, compared to 36 from the West Indies in four matches alone. It is worth mentioning that the Sikandar Raza-led side played all their league games on more challenging pitches in Sri Lanka, while the West Indies were based in India.
With shorter boundaries and the assumed flatness of the surface at the Wankhede Stadium, it is an area that the West Indies will look to exploit, as power-hitting remains their strength.
This will also challenge players like Blessing Muzarabani (9) – one of the highest wicket-takers in the competition – as well as Brad Evans (8).
But if anything, their wins over formidable Sri Lanka and Australia showed, Zimbabwe are ready to fight hard and push their opponents harder than they anticipate before entering the ring, and the West Indies will know they have their task cut out from the word go.
Teams:
West Indies: Shai Hope (c&wk), Johnson Charles (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales.
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (c), Ben Curran, Clive Madande (wk), Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Mayers, Brian Bennet, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Graeme Cremer, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava.
Match starts at 7:00 pm IST.
