West Indies wary of steely Zimbabwe in T20 World Cup Super Eight clash

MUMBAI: A remarkably assured West Indies will be wary of Zimbabwe’s steely resolve when the two unbeaten teams face off in a vital T20 World Cup Super Eight clash here on Monday.

Both the West Indies and Zimbabwe topped their respective groups in the first round but the job is far from finished for them as sterner challenges lie ahead.

For the two-time champions the West Indies, it will be another test of their self assured approach in a format they truly thrive in and bring a flair which perhaps no other team does.Daren Sammy’s troops have rallied well to the call of creating their own “little piece of history” but consistency and rising up to the occasion would be paramount.Zimbabwe have ticked the boxes of earning “respect and recognition” which they had set out for apart from making it to the Super Eight.

But in a group consisting the indomitable South Africans, the West Indies and the title-favourites India, Zimbabwe will fancy their chances of causing maximum damage and see how far they can go. JiWith shorter boundary limits and assumed flatness of the surface here at the Wankhede Stadium, it is one area that the West Indies would look to exploit as power-hitting remains their forte.

It is something which would also challenge the likes of Blessing Muzarabani (9) – one of the highest wicket-takers in the competition – as well as Brad Evans (8).

But if anything that their wins over formidable Sri Lanka and Australia showed, Zimbabwe are ready to punch hard and push their opponents harder than they fathom before entering the ring, and the West Indies would know they have their task cut out from the word go.

Zimbabwe’s self-belief and confidence matches their all-round strength as they now find themselves in the big boys’ club where stakes are much higher than this band is used

With four wins on the trot, the West Indies have ensured their series defeats in as many as seven bilateral affairs in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup is a matter of past.Sherfane Rutherford’s (126) explosiveness is another important factor for the Caribbean camp along with all-round capabilities of Romario Shepherd (6 wickets), who in particular would lean on his IPL experience here at the Wankhede Stadium to deliver the goods.