Posted on June 17, 2010 | Category: ODI
THE BEGINNING
The collective groans from the cricket world could be heard all over the world when it was announced that India and Sri Lanka would be once again competing in a meaningless Tri-Series. While both Test nations sent under strength squads to Zimbabwe the hosts had a full strength lineup and were looking to improve on their last two ODI series outings, a 5-0 loss in Bangladesh and a 4-1 loss in the West Indies.
THE TEAMS
Zimbabwe
Pre Tri Series Form: LLLLW
Tri Series: Runner up
Most Runs: Brendan Taylor (295 at 73.75)
Most Wickets: Chris Mpofu (4 at 37.00)
Suprisingly enough Zimbabwe were the in form team of the tournament topping the table in the group stage and convincingly beating India comfortably in their first encounter and humiliating them in their second encounter with 70 balls remaining. Brendan Taylor was deserved winner of Player Of The Series with stellar knocks of 81 and 74 against India and a career best 119* against Sri Lanka in the last group game. While they have improved in leaps and bounds (and frankly should be a rung above Bangladesh) their cricket still remains in a fragile state but with the 2011 World Cup on the horizon, Zimbabwe might actually be able to notch up some wins.
Sri Lanka
Pre Tri Series Form: WLWWW
Tri Series: Winner
Most Runs: Tillakaratne Dilshan (328 at 109.33)
Most Wickets: Suraj Randiv (6 at 31.00)
With a little bit of a “cleanup” occuring at Sri Lanka Cricket, the Zimbabwe Tri-Series was an oppurtunity to rest key players like Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Muralitharan, Malinga and the sitting Member for the Matera District, Sanath Jayasuriya. With an out of form Tillakaratne Dilshan as captain, Sri Lanka’s bench strength was tested with some fringe players getting a chance to show the selectors why they should be considered a permanant part of the first choice XI. Dilshan played himself back into form while Tharanga reminded everyone on the planet why he should one half of Sri Lanka’s opening pair, and even the bowlers had a successful tour. Come the 2011 World Cup against full strength competition might be a different matter altogether.
India
Pre Tri Series Form: LWWLW
Tri Series: Eliminated Group Stage
Most Runs: Rohit Sharma (260 at 86.66)
Most Wickets: Ravindra Jadeja (5 at 36.20)
Oh dear. Oh deary me. A disaster of a series for India with a solitary win against Sri Lanka highlighting their poor tour, which dropped them to #3 in the ICC One Day Rankings. India rested almost everyone in their first choice XI and sent a second string side that was mainly the XI from India A, which as Freemo pointed out in his Asia Cup preview makes you wonder who the hell was in England playing in the India A squad. The Zimbabwe tour was a good chance for players who haven’t been in form to get a good bit of match practice, build their confidence and play themselves back into form. Yuvraj Singh or Ishant Sharma would have benefited greatly from the tour but really, who knows what goes on in the mind of the BCCI.
THE CONCLUSION
The Tri-Series if anything was a quasi demonstration that Zimbabwe are ready to play meaningful real cricket again. At the end of the tour there’s already talk of them returning to playing Test matches as early as 2011 and at the time of writing it looks like New Zealand are eager (for lack of better word) to tour Zimbabwe. Yes it is encouraging signs that Zimbabwe are back but lets not get ahead of ourselves in the sense that they should return to the Test fold especially since Scotland and Ireland can still run circles round them in the First-Class Intercontinental Cup, plus just because Sri Lanka’s willing to tour there doesn’t mean that Harare is the ideal place to play cricket.
Luckily the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket Peter Chingoka seems to have a realistic plan in place, hoping for the national side to play lower ranked Test sides like Bangladesh, West Indies or New Zealand and the A sides of the heavyweights. At least the signs are looking positive for Zimbabwe to be welcomed back into the fold. Hell if Bangladesh can be treated like a proper cricket team and show no signs of improvement in five years why can’t Zimbabwe?
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