1st ODI: Can Zimbabwe challenge mighty Australia at home?
What's the story
Australia will face Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series, starting on September 15. The matches will be played in Harare, marking Australia's first ODI tour of Zimbabwe since 2014. The last time these two teams clashed in an ODI series in Australia was back in 2022. This time around, Team Australia is using the series as a reconnaissance mission for their upcoming World Cup title defense, while Zimbabwe hope to replicate its earlier T20 World Cup success against Australia this year. Here is the preview of the opener.
Team dynamics
Zimbabwe's recent form and Australia's squad changes
Zimbabwe recently won an ODI series against Bangladesh.
The same Bangladesh unit defeated Australia in an ODI series in July.
The latter's recent ODI form has also been far from exceptional, winning just 13 of their last 28 ODIs.
Meanwhile, Australia will miss the services of a few key players for this series.
Captain Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have been rested ahead of ODIs and Tests in South Africa.
The team will be led by Mitchell Marsh, with Travis Head returning at the top of the order after missing the previous two series.
Team composition
Zimbabwe's veteran players in action
Zimbabwe's squad for the series includes veteran players like Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, and Graeme Cremer.
All four will be 40 or older by the third match of the series.
Despite their age, these experienced players have been instrumental in Zimbabwe's recent successes.
Their inclusion in this ODI series against Australia adds a layer of intrigue as they look to continue their winning streak against a historically strong opponent.
Historical context
Here's the head-to-head record
Australia have dominated Zimbabwe in ODIs, winning 29 of the 32 concluded matches against them, as per Cricinfo.
However, the 2026 T20 World Cup saw Zimbabwe beat Australia.
This recent history makes the upcoming series all the more exciting as both teams look to establish dominance ahead of next year's World Cup.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
Zimbabwe (Probable XI): Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza (c), Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani.
Australia (Probable XI): Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Spencer Johnson.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Cooper Connolly played a brilliant 149-run knock in an ODI against Bangladesh earlier this year.
With 198 wickets at 29.33, Adam Zampa is among the best spinners going around in white-ball cricket.
Brian Bennett scored a match-winning 56-ball 64 in the T20 WC game against the Aussies earlier this year.
Sikandar Raza is among the top ODI all-rounders at the moment, having recorded 4,521 runs at 36.45 and 95 wickets at 44.02.
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