Harare Sports Club Pitch Report For IND vs ZIM 1st T20I

Debashis Sarangi

Harare Sports Club, Harare [X]Harare Sports Club, Harare [X]

On Saturday, India will lock horns with Zimbabwe in the first T20I of the five-match series at Harare Sports Club in Harare, Zimbabwe. Led by Shubman Gill, India have a relatively inexperienced squad and are expected to hand debut caps to several cricketers. 

Despite India fielding a second-string team, Zimbabwe, captained by Sikandar Raza, will start as the underdogs in this match. 

So, as the stage gets set for a high-profile clash, let's see how the pitch at Harare Sports Club will behave throughout the contest. 


Harare Sports Club Pitch Report

In day matches, the surface at Harare Sports Club offers significant assistance to the fast bowlers with the new ball in the morning. 

However, as it's an afternoon game, the moisture in the pitch will be minimal. So, expect a flat wicket, offering favourable batting conditions. 

The track's even pace and bounce will be ideal for stroke play, as the batters will enjoy their time in the middle. 

The seamers, who hit the deck hard, might be effective on this surface. However, the other kind of pacers will mostly rely on cutters and variations to succeed. 

There might be a hint of turn for the spinners, who will capitalise on it in the latter half. Statistically, the average run rate in Harare has been a reasonable 7.65. 

Considering it's the first match of the series, we think the pitch won't likely deteriorate much in the latter half. So, expect the toss-winning side to bowl first.