Zimbabwe vs Australia Prediction & Match Preview – 1st ODI, Harare

Zimbabwe host Australia in the first ODI of Australia’s 2026 tour at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday 15 September, with a morning start.

Zimbabwe had not announced their side when this preview was prepared. Australia are led by Mitchell Marsh and the expected XI features Josh Inglis, Cooper Connolly, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey and Cameron Green in the batting, with Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis, Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha forming the bowling group. Their wider squad includes Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Renshaw, Oliver Peake, Billy Stanlake and Joel Davies.

The new ball may move, so the first part of the innings could be tricky. Batting should ease once players settle, though the pitch can slow. Pacers with variations may be effective in the middle and death overs. A total of 255 or more is competitive and 270 would be strong, so a chase above 260 could be hard.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Harare Sports Club generally gives fast bowlers some swing and seam early on. As the innings goes on, the surface improves for batting and well-set players can accelerate. Later in the game it can slow down, which brings spinners and slower-ball bowlers into play. For an ODI, the expected scores below are a better guide than T20 benchmarks.

Weather

Harare should be hazy and sunny at the 9:30 am local start, cool at around 21°C and warming through the morning. Rain is unlikely and the dry conditions should suit cricket, with no significant interruption anticipated.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 220–245
• 2nd innings: 250–270