Reigning 2023 ODI World Cup champions are back in action in the 50-over format as they tour Zimbabwe for a 3-match ODI series starting on Tuesday, September 15th at the Harare Sports Club in Harare. This is the first time that the teams are meeting in a bilateral ODI series since 2022, when the Chevrons travelled to Australia. Australia comes back to Zimbabwe’s shores for the first time in 12 years. They were last here in 2014. Zimbabwe did beat Australia in the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier in the year, but this is a different challenge and a different kettle of fish for the hosts.
Owing to a lower back injury to regular captain Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, who is the T20I skipper, will lead the hosts in this 3-match ODI series. It’s a body blow to Zimbabwe, and they will have their task cut out against the Aussies. Blessing Muzarabani has to lead the bowling duties now. Australia in this series will be led by Mitchell Marsh, and they have got a good blend of youth and experience in their squad. Josh Hazlewood will be here, and so will Adam Zampa, among others.
The stage is set for an interesting contest between these two teams in the 50-over format in the game.
Overview
The stage is set for an interesting bilateral series as the mighty Australians visit Zimbabwe’s shores for a 3-match ODI series starting on 15th September 2026. All 3 matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club in Harare, and the three matches will take place in a span of 5-6 days. These matches are extremely important for both teams, especially Australia, to fine-tune their skills and get acclimatised to the weather conditions and surfaces on offer here, with the 2027 World Cup a year away.
Australia will be led by Mitchell Marsh in this series, with regulars Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc resting in this series. Josh Hazlewood will play this series. Australia have had a patchy run in ODI cricket lately. They fielded not their strongest side in their recent series against Bangladesh in Bangladesh and lost that series 1-2 in June. It was a different side with Josh Inglis as captain, and they struggled in those sub-continental conditions. They will be looking to assert their dominance in this series.
In the batting department, captain Mitchell Marsh will headline the batting alongside Travis Head. Keeper batter Alex Carey may bat up the order depending on the composition of the squad. Josh Inglis is an integral member of the side, and so is Cameron Green, who just got married recently. Matthew Renshaw would like to make a case for himself in the middle order and so will Oliver Peake and Cooper Connolly.
The bowling line-up will be led by Josh Hazlewood in the absence of Starc and Cummins. To support Hazlewood, Australia have Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis, Billy Stanlake, and Adam Zampa, the lone leg-spinner and an experienced one at that. Australia have some holes in their batting after the retirements of Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis from this format, alongside David Warner as well. But those that are there are good enough to stake a claim for the side.
No matter what the circumstances are, Australia starts this series as overwhelming favourites. Yes, they won’t take Zimbabwe lightly as they are a tough side to crack at home. But with the talent at their disposal, they should win the series.
Coming to the hosts, Zimbabwe, the Chevrons as they are called by many. The hosts were dealt a late blow as regular captain Richard Ngarava failed to clear the fitness test and has been ruled out of the series due to a lower back issue. The injury could be severe, ruling the tall left-armer out for a considerable period of time. In his absence, the T20I skipper Sikandar Raza will lead the side.
Zimbabwe has played a lot of cricket lately. They beat Bangladesh at home and lately were involved in a T20I Tri-series where they reached the final before losing to South Africa. In T20Is, they struggled a tad, losing to India as well, but in ODIs they have done well as a side at home and will pose a challenge to Australia should they not be careful. But they have their task cut out.
In the absence of Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani will be tasked to lead the bowling attack. He will be assisted by Brad Evans and Newman Nyamhuri. Wellington Masakadza provides a decent spin bowling option. Zimbabwe welcome back 40-year-old Brendan Taylor into the squad as he returns after a year and might well share the wicket-keeping duties with Tadiwanashe Marumani. Graeme Cremer returns to the ODI squad after a gap of 8 years, having last played in this format in 2018.
Zimbabwe have also included Craig Ervine to add teeth to the middle-order. Ben Curran is a part of the squad and so is Innocent Kaia. But all eyes will be on Brian Bennett as he has been a prolific scorer for the Chevrons, and the batting seems to be a lot dependent on him to perform. Ryan Burl will play the role of an all-rounder, more of a batter who can bowl a bit of spin. Wessly Madhevere is a handy batter in the middle order. Clive Madande, due to Taylor’s inclusion, missed out on the squad.
The stage is set for an interesting battle, and it remains to be seen whether Zimbabwe can upset Australia or whether Australia assert their dominance in this series. We shall find that out come Tuesday, 15th September, 2026.
Head-To-Head
Zimbabwe and Australia have clashed against each other on 33 occasions. The Aussies dominate this Head-To-Head with 29 wins to Zimbabwe’s 3 wins. One match ended in a No Result. In the last 10 matches, it’s 8-2 in Australia’s favour. The last time these two teams met was in September 2022, and Zimbabwe won the last encounter by 3 wickets in Australia, although the Aussies won the series 2-1.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at the Harare Sports Club will have early movement and swing for the seamers in the first hour due to surface moisture. The spin will be on the slower side overall, assisting spinners as the match progresses. The batting will be good for stroke-play once the batters get set. Batting first, a par score of around 260-280 will be competitive. Chasing becomes tricky on a slowing pitch above par.
The weather in Harare will have mostly sunny skies with scattered clouds around. The temperature in the morning will be around 22-24 degrees Celsius, which will rise later. The rain risk is low, minimal at less than 10%, and so a full game is expected. The humidity will be around 55%, which will aid early swing. The wind will be light, with minimal help for the bowlers.
Probable Playing XIs of both sides
Here, we will try to predict the possible playing XIs of both sides.
Zimbabwe XI: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Brendan Taylor, Wessly Madhevere, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza (c), Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani.
Australia XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Matthew Renshaw, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.
Key Players to watch out for in this clash
Brian Bennett: Brian Bennett is one of the prolific performers for Zimbabwe, and he would like to continue his rich vein of form. Across both formats, he has been tremendous, especially in the ODIs. With Australia proving to be a challenge, all eyes will be on Bennett to give the team a solid start and set it up for the others to follow. If he gets a good start, Zimbabwe may post a good total.
Blessing Muzarabani: With Richard Ngarava ruled out due to injury, the onus is on Blessing Muzarabani to lead the pace attack. Blessing has been in good form lately and did well against Australia in the T20 World Cup 2026. If he can find his rhythm and mojo going, he can be a hard bowler to tackle with his height. He has improved as a bowler and would like to heap pressure on the Aussies.
Travis Head: Travis Head is one of the key players to watch out for Australia. He was the star in the ODI World Cup final in 2023 against India. Head has been indifferent lately, but alongside his captain, Marsh would like to give Australia a fast start in the power play. If Head gets going and blunts the new ball threat of Zimbabwe, then Australia could well be on their way to winning the match and series.
Josh Hazlewood: With no Starc and Cummins, Josh Hazlewood will spearhead the attack. Josh will have a point to prove as he is coming back after an injury layoff. He would want to make a mark in the ODI format and lead the pace attack with aplomb. If Hazlewood gets into his rhythm and gets his line and length right, he will be a hard bowler to tackle in these conditions. Josh is a quality bowler and would like to do the business for Australia.
Key Stats and Records to look out for in this clash
- Australia’s highest score at Harare Sports Club came in 2014 against Zimbabwe, where they made 350/6.
- Zimbabwe’s lowest score in ODIs against Australia is 116 in October 1999.
- Cameron Green has recently scored 282 runs in 7 matches at an average of 56.4 and a strike-rate of 89.24.
- Cooper Connolly has scored 271 runs in 8 matches at an average of 54.2 and a strike-rate of 95.42.
- Nathan Ellis has picked up 11 wickets in 8 matches at 5.08 economy and a strike-rate of 32.45.
- Xavier Bartlett has picked up 9 wickets in 5 matches at an economy of 5.54 and a strike-rate of 26.
- First bilateral series in Zimbabwe since August 2014.
- Jason Gillespie took 5/32 at a strike-rate of 12 for Australia at Harare in May 2004, and this remains the best bowling effort in Zimbabwe vs Australia matches at Harare.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match
It’s tough to predict a winner in cricket, even in the ODI format. It is a funny game, cricket is, and it can surprise you big time. But looking at the results and history between the sides and with the news that Richard Ngarava will miss the series, we feel Zimbabwe will have their task cut out. So, we are going with Australia to start as overwhelming favourites, and it won’t surprise any of us if they go on to clean sweep the series 3-0. Zimbabwe can surprise us and should not be taken lightly.
Let’s see how the ODI series between these two nations shapes up starting on Tuesday, 15th September, 2026.
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