I see myself batting there: Madhevere aims to claim No. 3 spot for Zimbabwe
Wesley Madhevere (PC: Twitter)
All-rounder Wesley Madhevere eyes the No. 3 batting position for Zimbabwe in ODI cricket after making a strong return to the playing XI in the first ODI of the ongoing series against Australia.
Madhevere did not feature in the last ODI of the recently-concluded three-match series versus India. Sean Williams batted one-down for Zimbabwe in the fixture. However, an elbow discomfort at the eleventh hour to Williams paved the way for an unforeseen chance for the right-hander.
On his lucky day, the 21-year-old cashed onto the opportunity, scoring 72 runs, also his individual best score in the ODI cricket, at Townsville. With this, the Harare-born presented a strong case for himself to be retained in the playing XI even when Williams is fit enough to make a return.
"I didn't know I was going to play"
Madhevere revealed that he was not in the original scheme of things of the team management, however, was chosen as Williams' replacement within the squad.
"To be honest I didn't know I was going to play. Was told [on Saturday] I wasn't going to play but found out that Sean wasn't doing too well with the elbow and that's when the coach told me that I was playing."
Further, he emphasised on batting more at No. 3 position for Zimbabwe, stating that he thrives under pressure.
"I see myself batting there, it's one of the crucial positions when you want to be exposed to the pressure, so that's one of the key areas and I quite like that challenge," he said. "It also helps me grow as a cricketer if I get exposed to it right now, then it will be easier for me in the future."
Australia overwhelms Zimbabwe
While Madhevere with his 72-run knock pushed for a decent total, an abysmal show from the other batters led to Zimbabwe being wrapped up at the score for 200. Australia cruised to the coast in the 34th over.
The two teams will now meet in the second match of the series, scheduled on August 31.
 "Aayush Mahajan")
