Tight Zimbabwe series expected
India and Sri Lanka have sent youthful and inexperienced teams to Zimbabwe with an eye towards next year's cricket World Cup for a triangular one-day international series beginning on Friday.
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The home team have consequently set themselves the single objective of gaining sufficiently good results in their four matches against the sub-continent tourists to feel justified in making progress back towards Test cricket.
India and Sri Lanka, in fielding teams of mainly youth with the resting of so many established and experienced players, are looking towards the World Cup next year and individually doing well enough to challenge for places.
All three coaches therefore expect a tough and close series of matches -three here, three in Harare and a final.
New Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura said: "This is a real tough two weeks for us as we try to re-establish ourselves as a top cricket country. We have done pretty well in the last couple of months and are keen to continue."
However Zimbabwe have lost eight of their last ODI series against West Indies, Bangladesh and South Africa, so that they have much more to achieve.
India coach Gary Kirsten told a press conference also attended by Zimbabwe's Alan Butcher and Sri Lanka's Trevor Bayliss that he expected a close series.
"Not only Sri Lanka but Zimbabwe also will be tough opponents" he said.
"Naturally we are looking primarily towards the next World Cup. And so are the members of this team. There is now a chance to improve their prospects for places and be sure several will take theirs."
Butcher has a very different agenda for Zimbabwe.
"Because many Indian and Sri lanka stars are missing, we know we are in for a tough series," he said.
"On the one hand we feel we might take advantage of inexperience but on the other we know these lads are fine cricketers and have done great things in their first class programmes back home."
Suresh Raina, captaining India for the first time, was more specific.
"We are aiming to score 270 in each match, which will be competitive. We would not take either opponents lightly," he said.
"There is plenty of pressure all round in the series."
Sri Lanka's Thillakaratne Dilshan was equally cautious as he captains a team weakened by the missing quartet of Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga.
But he said: "My team is also looking for personal advancement in the years ahead and this will be a good starting point for them."
The first match Zimbabwe v India starts at Queens Club here at 9am on Friday. This is a dangerous time for batsmen and is brought on by an early dusk in the winter months.
The wicket should take spin early on, though all three captains were dismissive of this, saying overall good quality of cricket will be needed to prevail, regardless of such circumstances.
Quick bowler Chris Mpofu of Zimbabwe has passed a fitness test after a hand injury. And if selected Andy Blignaut hopes to bring to bear his Test experience of a decade and more ago, mainly as a batsman.
The match will be in the charge of umpires Brian Jerling of South Africa and Russell Tiffin of Zimbabwe.
The squads:
Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (c), Greg Lamb, Tatenda Taibu, Vusi Sibanda, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Proper Utseya, Graeme Cremer, Ray Price, Edward Rainsford, Chris Mpofu, Andy Blignaut, Chamu Chibhabha, Charles Coventry.
India: Suresh Raina (c), Vijay Salve, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Khozi, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Vimay Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Pankaj Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragjan Ojha, Naman Ojha.
Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (c), Angelo Mathews, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahuru Thirimanne, Camara Kapugedera, Suraj Randiv, Numan Kalusekera, Thilan Tushara, Ajantha Mendia, Jeevan Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Chamara Silva, Thissara Perera.