Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will be up against each other in the ZIM vs AFG third ODI of the ongoing three-match series on Saturday (December 21). The game is scheduled to be played at the Harare Sports Club, Harare.
Afghanistan have taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series. After the first ODI was washed out, the visitors thrashed Zimbabwe by 232 runs in the second ODI earlier this week. Zimbabwe were absolutely no match for Afghanistan as the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side thoroughly dominated the contest.
Batting first, Afghanistan scored 286/6 in 50 overs. Openers Sediqullah Atal and Abdul Malik starred with the bat, scoring 104 and 84 runs respectively in addition to sharing a 191-run stand.
In reply, Zimbabwe never looked in contention to even challenge Afghanistan let alone beating them. Their innings lasted less than 18 overs as they were bowled out for a paltry total of 54 runs. AM Ghazanfar and Naveed Zadran picked up 3 wickets each for the tourists.
So, as both the teams gear up for the ZIM vs AFG third ODI, we are taking a look at the weather and pitch reports for the upcoming game.
ZIM vs AFG Weather Report And Pitch Report, Harare – 3rd ODI, Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe 2024-25:
ZIM vs AFG – Weather Report Of Harare:
The weather forecast has predicted a sunny and bright day in Harare on the match day. The game will be starting at 9:30 AM local time and rain is unlikely to play spoilsport. The temperature will be hovering in the late 20s during the first half of the match and will cross the 30-degree Celsius mark in the second half.
ZIM vs AFG Pitch report:
Here are the stats of the Harare Sports Club, Harare:
| First ODI Match | 25/10/1992 |
| Last ODI Match | 19/12/2024 |
| Matches Played | 185 |
| Matches Won by Home Side | 53 (28.65%) |
| Matches Won by Touring Side | 104 (56.22%) |
| Matches Won by Neutral Side | 23 (12.43%) |
| Matches Won Batting First | 85 (45.21%) |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 94 (50.00%) |
| Matches Won Winning Toss | 83 (44.15%) |
| Matches Won Losing Toss | 97 (51.60%) |
| Matches Tied | 1 (0.54%) |
| Matches with No Result | 4 (2.16%) |
| Highest Team Innings | 408/6 (Zimbabwe) |
| Lowest Team Innings | 35 (Zimbabwe) |
| Highest Run Chase Achieved | 328/3 (South Africa) |
| Average Runs per Wicket | 29.49 |
| Average Runs per Over | 4.82 |
| Average Score Batting First | 226 |
Past games as well as the ongoing series have once again proved that Harare is not a batsman’s paradise. Batsmen have traditionally struggled to do well at this venue and the ongoing series has once again shown that.
The T20I series between the two sides was not a high-scoring affair and the ODI series has not turned out to be an exception either.
At the same time, the Afghanistan openers have shown that one can reap the rewards of hard work. So batsmen will have to apply themselves to score big while bowlers will look to make the most of the conditions.
Conclusion:
The weather forecast is very promising for the third ZIM vs AFG ODI. Rain is likely to play spoilsport during the game. So, the fans will be able to see the full match without any major interruptions.