ZIM vs IND 2022 | Don't see any reason why we can't win, asserts Ryan Burl
Ryan Burl is confident that Zimbabwe can one-up India if they play to their full potential
|Ryan Burl has proclaimed Zimbabwe have the potential to defeat India in the upcoming ODI series given their home turf advantage, recent form and most importantly, the quality their squad possesses. He further discussed the importance the series holds for them and plans to make the most out of it.
The Zimbabwe cricket team is just two days away from taking the field at the Harare Sports Club to face India in the first of three ODIs. The two sides had last played each other in the 50-over format six years ago when the Men in Blue had walked away 3-0 victors much like the 2015 tour. In fact, the last time the African outfit had registered a win over their much-fancied rivals was in 2010, defeating them twice in a triangular series. However, the overall record remains heavily skewed in India's favour which has won 51 ODIs compared to Zimbabwe's 10.
Nevertheless, despite all the odds stacked against them, all-rounder Ryan Burl remains optimistic about his team's chances against the Asian side. A large portion of the positivity stems from Zimbabwe's recent success against Bangladesh. Despite being significantly lower ranked in both white ball formats, Zimbabwe managed to triumph 2-1 in ODIs as well as T20Is. Their upset in the longer format was fuelled by two consecutive unbeaten centuries from formidable opener Sikander Raza who also ended up as the joint highest wicket-taker in the series.Ā Ā
"I don't see any reason why we can't win. We do have a home advantage. We've been playing quite well at home recently. People obviously talk about the likes of Streaky (Heath Streak) and the Flowers (Andy Flower and Grant Flower) and all those guys back then. Now we've got our own legends. We've got Raza, we've got (Craig) Ervine, we've got (Sean) Williams. We've got all these other legends. There's probably something wrong with me if I didn't think that we could win because every time you step on a field or court or whatever competition it is, you're looking to win. So, we're looking (at the series) very positively and hopefully, we can do something special," he said in an exclusive interview with Times of India.
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Find OutThe last time a top-six side visited Zimbabwe for ODIs was Pakistan in 2018 but the hosts failed to make a mark as they crumbled to a 5-0 defeat. This time around, Burl hopes they will do better considering this is their chance to make headlines in the global cricketing fraternity.
"First of all, we don't really get a chance to play India often. So, when you do get these opportunities, you have to kind of put your hand up and make the most of it. And second of all, it's opportunities like this (of playing) one of the best teams in the world, where you can showcase your talent and put yourself out there on the map for bigger and better things to come. It's hugely important for us."Ā
Zimbabwe can be expected to play freely since India is expected to walk away easy victors, as they have done in the two sides' last 13 ODI meetings between the two sides.
"The team plans are going to be pretty much the same as (those of) the last couple of months. We're going to express ourselves as much as possible. If you're a batter, your plan is to score as many runs as possible as quickly as possible. And if you are a bowler, your plan is to go for as few runs as possible. We will try to keep things as simple as possible," the 28-year-old added.
