Zim vs Ind: India win toss, opt to bowl in first ODI

HARARE: India captain KL Rahul won the toss and opted to field first against Zimbabwe in the first ODI of the three-match series at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

Led by the returning KL Rahul - who takes the captaincy reins in Rohit Sharma's absence - India are in good ODI form, winning five of their last six matches.

On the other hand, the hosts are in a rhythm of their own, claiming a 2-1 series triumph over Bangladesh.

Speaking at the time of toss, India captain KL Rahul said, " We will bowl first. Looks like a good wicket, it's an early start, so could have a bit of moisture. Good opportunity to bowl first and exploit the first hour. A lot of guys have got opportunities, good chances to challenge themselves and their skills. Looking forward to a good show. He (Deepak Chahar) was unfortunate to miss out for a long time, excited for a few coming back after injuries."

Speaking at the time of toss, Zimbabwe skipper Regis Chakabva said, "We would have bowled first as well, but this looks like a good wicket and will stay true for the rest of the day. It's something we've spoken about (about top-order collapses), looking to sort it out. We've got Ngarva and Marumani coming in."

India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul(c), Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson(w), Axar Patel, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj.

Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Tadiwanashe Marumani, Innocent Kaia, Sean Williams, Wessly Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva (capt & wk), Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Bradley Evans, Victor Nyauchi and Richard Ngarava.