AFG vs ZIM Match

4:59 AM IST Sharjah showdown - A trophy, a rematch and a point to prove as Afghanistan and Zimbabwe contest the final of the ODI tri-series in Sharjah. Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 158 runs in the league stage, then beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets to book their place. Zimbabwe’s route was less convincing. They registered a 99-run win over Bangladesh in their opener, followed by a heavy defeat to Afghanistan, but Bangladesh’s defeat in the last league game meant that the Chevrons made it through to the final. Depth in the order - The top order has done the heavy lifting. Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal laid the platform against Zimbabwe, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz is yet to hit his stride, and there would be no better occasion for it than the final. Afghanistan were 190/2 and looked set for a 300-plus score, but regular wickets pulled them back to 294. The one flaw to watch is converting a strong start into a big total. The depth is there to do it, with Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah steadying the middle order and Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi able to provide the fireworks at the end. Rashid leads the charge - If the batting has given Afghanistan a platform, the bowling has made them favourites. Rashid Khan has been the standout, with 4/17 against Zimbabwe and another four-wicket haul against Bangladesh, and his control through the middle overs is a big threat to a Zimbabwe line-up that struggled to build partnerships. Fazalhaq Farooqi’s new-ball spell left Zimbabwe 33/3 inside 10 overs, and the attack has other options in Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar’s spin and Nabi’s experience. Against Bangladesh, Yamin Ahmadzai and Azmatullah Omarzai took two wickets each, which shows they do not rely on Rashid alone. The top-order question - Zimbabwe’s batting will decide how close this final gets. They can certainly post a total, as they showed with 271 against Bangladesh, which gave them enough to defend. The problem came against Afghanistan, when early wickets left them at 43/4 in a chase of 295 and they never really recovered. Craig Ervine, Zimbabwe’s Player of the Match in the win over Bangladesh, missed that game with an injury, and the Chevrons will hope for his return. If Ben Curran and Brian Bennett can see off the new ball, the likes of Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza can play with freedom. Needing an early spark - Zimbabwe’s bowling has been a story of two halves. They defended 271 comfortably against Bangladesh, winning by 99 runs, but against Afghanistan the attack struggled to make an early impact. Sikandar Raza’s off-spin could be crucial in the middle overs, especially if the surface offers some assistance, while Muzarabani and Evans will be expected to make the most of the new ball. Newman Nyamhuri missed the Afghanistan game with an injury, and the Chevrons will want him back, as he brings an X factor with his left-arm angle. Form (Last 5 completed ODIs, recent first) - AFG - WWWWW | ZIM - LWLLL. Adapt quickly or fall behind - If the only game so far in the tri-series in Sharjah is anything to go by, expect slow and low conditions, with run-scoring hard to come by. Zimbabwe have played both of their games in Abu Dhabi, so the challenge for them will be to adapt to the conditions, and to do it quickly. That gives Afghanistan a bit of an advantage, having played one game here previously. Zimbabwe have also lost all three of their ODIs this year while chasing, so if they win the toss, their preference might well be to bat first. Afghanistan arrive with the momentum and the form, while Zimbabwe come with something to prove, so the final has the makings of a good contest. Who are you rooting for?