Zimbabwe Opt to Bowl First in Fifth T20I Against India

Zimbabwe's captain, Sikandar Raza, broke his losing streak in the toss for the fifth T20I against India in Harare. Employing a new technique, Raza opted to bowl first, anticipating an improvement in the pitch's batting conditions later in the game.

"Our wickets tend to get better as the game progresses," Raza explained. "We have the motivation, confidence, and skills to finish the series on a high."

Zimbabwe made one change to their lineup, resting Tendai Chatara and bringing in Brandon Mavuta for his series debut. India, on the other hand, made two changes, with Mukesh Kumar replacing Khaleel Ahmed and Riyan Parag returning in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad.

India's captain, Shubman Gill, revealed that they had intended to bat first regardless of the toss outcome. He praised his team's performance, particularly the spinners and fast bowlers in the powerplay.

"Our players have shown great hunger despite the back-to-back games," Gill said. "We aim to complete a 4-1 series win, while Zimbabwe will be eager to end the series on a positive note after their victory in the first match."

This match serves as a final opportunity for players to impress ahead of India's upcoming T20I series in Sri Lanka. The squad for that series, as well as the subsequent three ODIs, has yet to be announced.

Tags: #Zimbabwe, #India, #T20I, #Harare, #SikandarRaza