Australia vs Zimbabwe – 2nd One-Day International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Australia vs Zimbabwe taking place? Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 – 00:40 (UK)
Where is Australia vs Zimbabwe taking place? Riverway Stadium, Townsville
What is the expected weather for Australia vs Zimbabwe? 23-26c cloudy but dry, with potential sunny intervals later in the day.
What channel is Australia vs Zimbabwe on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport in the UK
Where can I stream Australia vs Zimbabwe? BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match live via the BT Sport website and app.
LAST MEETING
Australia beat Zimbabwe by five wickets.
THE LOWDOWN
AUSTRALIA
- Australia are one game away from winning this series after triumphing in the first ODI, chasing down their target of 201 in 33.3 overs for the loss of five wickets after winning the toss and bowling first.
- Cameron Green was the star of the show, picking up a five-wicket-haul as he blew away the Zimbabwean lower order, whilst experienced pros David Warner and Steve Smith broke the back of the run chase.
ZIMBABWE
- Zimbabwe’s top order batting fought hard in the first ODI, adding 108 runs for the loss of just two wickets, but their remaining eight wickets fell for just 92 runs, exposing their lack of batting depth compared to the Australians.
- The absence of Sean Williams for personal reasons is clearly a big blow to the tourists in this regard and they despite need the likes of Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva to step up for them in the middle order, Raza having shone against Bangladesh recently.
THE PREDICTION
The quality of Australia with bat and ball was just too much for Zimbabwe to handle on Sunday, although they did manage to pick up five Australian wickets, which should give them optimism going forward. However, their batting simply does not boast the quality and strength-in-depth that Australia’s line-up does and they are likely to struggle again up against a seriously strong home bowling attack. Any outcome here other than Australia winning and making it 2-0 in the series would be a shock.
