Acknowledging the progress Zimbabwe made in one-day format, India’s skipper Ajinkya Rahane said, they respect the hosts and will not take them lightly in the three match series, beginning tomorrow.
Rahane, who is leading India for the first time, insisted that the team has moved on from the Bangladesh debacle and “is here to win games”.
“Bangladesh is in the past now for us. We are thinking about the present series and our plan will be to get back our strength and games, rather than looking at Zimbabwe’s strengths. Give our best and play to our potential. We are here to win games,” said Rahane.
India won all their games when they toured Zimbabwe in 2013, but the young skipper is expecting tougher competition this time around.
“We all know that Zimbabwe is a good side. They have been playing pretty well recently and we are expecting a good series here. The boys are looking forward to the series and we are not taking Zimbabwe lightly. We respect them and their cricket. We have got to play good cricket,” the skipper said.
Asked about the new ODI rules being implemented in the series, Rahane said they would follow the “wait and watch” approach.
“It is the first game with the new playing conditions. After the first game, we will develop an idea about the strategies we need to use for the new rules. But it is quite exciting, with new fielding restrictions and free hits off all no-balls. It is very exciting, but we have to wait and watch how these new rules will go forward.”
The Mumbai cricketer is also excited about captaincy, a responsibility given to him after he was dropped from the playing eleven in Bangladesh.
“It is a new challenge for me in my career. I have brought a few ideas with me, and I have got my own style of captaincy, but I have learned a lot from Dhoni bhai. So I am looking forward to do well as a captain,” he said
“In a positive way, it is a good opportunity for all of us to express ourselves. We are taking Zimbabwe very seriously. This is a good platform to showcase our talent and do well at the international level,” he added.
