Can Zimbabwe Stop Australia’s Perfect Sweep?

Australia has beaten Zimbabwe twice already; can they finish it off in the third match?

Two Victories Down, One to Go!

Have you ever heard of a team winning so handily that the game seems over before it even begins? This is the situation that Zimbabwe is in right now after losing the first two matches of their series against Australia. All the Aussies have to do is win one more time to finish off a historic series win.

How did Australia Help This Happen?

Australia started the series off strong by watching Matt Renshaw post his first-ever century in an ODI at a tense opening slot. This set up Australia to post a huge total, which was finished off by Nathan Ellis picking up a career-best 5 wickets to bowl Zimbabwe out for 59 runs less than Australia’s score.

The second match was even more lopsided as Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa combined to dismantle Zimbabwe’s batting order. Here are some other great highlights from the series:

• Matt Renshaw had a career day at the plate by knocking in a 109!
• Nathan Ellis picked up a career-best 5 wickets for 31 runs!
• Cooper Connolly, a young Aussie all-star, belted a speedy 51!
• Australia has won the first two matches, and now has a 2-0 series lead.

Why This Final Match Matters

One could say that the series is already over, but this third and final match still has a lot on the line. For Australia, they will want to close out the series win to prove that they can win anywhere, including notoriously tough parks to play at like this one in Harare. As for Zimbabwe, they will want to put on a show for their fans and give them something to cheer about.

Will Zimbabwe Fight Back?

Zimbabwe has not been the best team in this series, but it’s not like they’ve given up and thrown in the towel. The older players have tried to fight through the slumps and get the team back in the game.

For example, captain Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine put together a nice partnership in the first match, but Australia’s bowlers snuffed out the rally at the first sign of a threat. The problem that Zimbabwe has is that they have a huge uphill battle, and it will take a miracle effort from their opening batsmen to even have a sniff at Australia’s total.

What to Expect in the Final

The third and final match will take place at the same Harare Sports Club field, where the series started. Based on the previous two matches, this pitch is great for hitters, but bowlers can still get batsmen out with the right conditions.

Australia will want to put this historic series-clinching victory in the books, so they are likely to put their best hitters and boldest bowlers on the field. As for Zimbabwe, all they can do is give it their all and try to avoid the shutout loss.

Closing Thoughts

This Zimbabwe series has shown us all just how deep Australia’s talent pool really is. From their plucky batters at the plate to their intimidating bowling attacks, the Aussies have proven time and time again that Australia is a force to be reckoned with in world cricket.

As Zimbabwe tries to fight back against a historic shutout loss, will they be able to avoid Australia’s baseball-esque performance and sneak a series win in, or will Australia make history and finish off the perfect series win in the third match? Tell us what you think will happen in the comments below!